Strays
by Rogue11
Summary: AU yaoi After the death of their parents all Milliardo and Relena have left is each other …and various lost cats and dogs that find their way into their home. So, one night when they come across a young man who seems to have lost his memory, they do what
1. Chapter 1

**Strays**

**Part 1**

Titan and Hercules prowled around his feet, purring and rubbing their heads against his legs as Milliardo prepared their dinner.

"I'm taking Mister Scruff on a walk," Relena called out from the entry.

"Wait, Lena, I'm going with you," he told her. It was getting late and he didn't want her to be out there on her own at this time of night. "Just give me a second."

He set the two food bowls down and the felines pounced at them like they hadn't been fed for a week. Milliardo's eyes fell upon the dishes piling up in the sink as he filled the water bowl, and he sighed. They would have to wait till the morning. He just didn't have the energy to deal with anything else tonight.

"Hurry up!" Relena urged as she popped her head through the kitchen door. "I think Mister Scruff needs to go really badly."

The dog gave a single bark as though to confirm her words.

"I'm coming." He grabbed his coat and slipped it on as they headed for the door.

Mr. Scruff pulled on his leash. He was a mud who looked like he had every dog breed known to men in his family tree; the size of a Great Dane, the shaggy fur of a Komondor and unfortunately the appetite of a Mastiff.

Milliardo pulled his shoulders up and buttoned his coat. There was a chill in the air; yes it was definitely turning autumn. Which meant, that soon he would have to worry about the heating bill. And Relena needed new school clothing. The girl was growing like it was nobody's business.

Ever since their parents had died in an accident nearly two years ago he had been providing for both his sister and himself. In order to do though he had quit school and taken a full time job. It wasn't like their parents had left them with nothing. But he had to think long term. So he had put most of the money they got from the insurance and such into a trust fund for Relena. If the tragedy had taught him one thing, it was that life could change in the blink of an eye and nobody, including himself, was immortal. So if anything was to happen to him at least his sister was taken care of. There was enough money to pay for her education and give her a good start in life. Selling the house they had grown up in and buying a smaller two-bedroom condo instead had been a though decision, but it made sense. In the long run he wouldn't have been able to afford the property-taxes for the large house.

"Are you alright, Miri?"

Relena looked up at him, and he forced himself to smile. "I'm fine, he assured her. "Just a little tired."

They headed for the nearby park, which was deserted at this time of the night. Relena let Mr. Scruff of the leash, and Milliardo settled down on one of the empty benches, draping one long leg over the other. A soft smile tugged on his lips as he watched his sister play fetch and tug-o-war with the large dog. It was moments like these when he realized that life wasn't that bad after all.

Mr. Scruff ran after the stick Relena had thrown, but suddenly stopped, tilted his head and took off barking.

"Scruff…Mister Scruff, come back," Relena yelled as she chased after him.

Eventually she caught up with him, or so Milliardo assumed, because both his barking and her yelling stopped. A few moments later Relena came running back, alone, calling his name. "Miri, Miri, come quick, Mister Scruff found something."

"No more dogs and cats, Relena. We can't afford it, and I have run out of friends to give them to," he told her, even as he allowed her to pull him along.

"It's not that," she replied. "See!"

Indeed, it was neither a stray dog nor a cat lying behind a group of brushes, but a man. He was wearing only a pair of black slacks and a white shirt, no coat or jacket. Although he was dirty he didn't look like a homeless person.

Milliardo suspected that he had probably a few drinks too many and lost his way home. His first instinct was to call the police and let them deal with the drunk. But then he noticed a patch of dried blood in the stranger's ginger-colored hair. He frowned as he crouched down and reached out to check the man's pulse.

"Is he dead?" Relena's voice was trembling. She had grabbed Mr. Scruff's collar with both hands. Her brother wasn't sure if she was trying to hold him back or just needed something to old on to.

"No, he is only unconscious. Looks like the blood isn't fresh."

"What should we do; call the police or an ambulance?"

Milliardo shrugged. "That's probably the best. We can't just leave him here. He will freeze to death lying here all night. His body feels cold already." As he reached out to touch the man again the stranger stirred.

* * *

He came around slowly. There were voices, but at first he didn't understand what they were saying. Once his mind had cleared somewhat he could make out a female and a male speaking.

As he slowly opened his eyes he gazed into the most handsome face he had ever seem. Pale skin, high cheekbones, framed by long silvery hair; stunningly beautiful crystal-blue eyes partially hidden beneath frisky bangs… His first reaction was: _Oh god, I've died and gone to heaven_. There was not doubt in his mind that the gorgeous creature hovering over him had to be a celestial being.

He didn't realize that he had spoken out loud until the blond laughed. "Sorry, to disappoint you, but you are not dead yet." The voice, deep and smooth as velvet, fit the appearance. "What happened to you? Did you get mugged or something?"

He blinked as he tried to sit up, and his angelic Samarian reached out and helped to steady him. "I…I'm not sure what happened…" He looked around puzzled. "Or how I got here for that matter."

"Are you hurt?"

He raised his hand to touch a sore spot on the back of his hand and winced. "My head hurts, but other than that I feel alright."

"Do you think you can stand up? The ground is cold; you will catch pneumonia or something worse if you keep sitting here."

He nodded. "I think so."

* * *

"Easy now," Milliardo told the tawny-haired man as he rose unsteadily to his feet. He could feel that the man was shivering, so he slipped off his coat and hung it around the stranger's shoulders. "You must be freezing."

The man gave him a nod of gratitude. "Thank you. Who…who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Milliardo, Milliardo Peacecraft. This is my sister Relena, and the walking carpet beside her is Mister Scruff. He is the one who found you. What about you? You got a name?"

"I'm …" the man started, then confusion crossed his face, and Milliardo saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. "I… I don't know…I can't seem to remember much of anything."

"It's alright," the blond calmed him down. "It looks like you either hit your head or you got knocked out or something. Maybe your memory loss has something to do with that. It's probably just temporary. Check your pockets for your wallet or some kind of ID."

"Right!" the stranger nodded. He went through the pockets of his pants and shook his head in a mixture of disappointment and frustration. "Not even as much as a house key."

"Alright then. Why don't you just come with us for now? The place we live at isn't very far from here."

"Are you sure? I really don't want to cause any more trouble that I already have."

"It's no trouble at all," Milliardo assured him with a soft smile. Any last suspicion he initially had about the stranger vanished. The man just didn't act like some kind of crook. "Besides, what else would you do; wander the streets with no place to go? You think you can walk? It's only about a block and a half."

The tawny haired man nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

"How do you feel?" Milliardo asked as he closed the condo door behind them. He took his coat from their guest and hung it up, while his sister unleashed the dog. "Should I call an ambulance to take you to the hospital and get you checked over?"

The tawny-haired man shook his head cautiously. "I don't think that's necessary. I'm still a little cold, but other than that I feel fine."

"Are you sure?" the blond eyed him skeptically. "You don't feel dizzy or nauseated?"

"No. Really, I'm alright."

"Fine then… But let me at least take a look at that wound on your head. Relena," Milliardo turned to his sister. "Do me a favor and fetch the first aid kit from the bathroom upstairs."

"Sure."

As she ran upstairs her brother prodded their guest into the kitchen, and gestured at one of the dining chairs. "Have a seat."

Moments later Relena came back, followed by Mr. Scruff who was looking to snatch up the leftover cat food. "I'll make some tea," she offered.

"Good idea." Milliardo opened the first aid kit to remove a package of sterile gauze and a small bottle of peroxide. "This will hurt a little," he warned as he started to dab at the blood-crusted gash.

The tawny-haired man winced.

"Sorry."

"It's alright. How does it look?"

"Actually, not as bad as I thought," Milliardo admitted. Once the dried blood was removed he could see only a relatively small cut. "I can put a couple of butterfly bandages over it, but if you go to the hospital they'd be able to give you a few stitches and …"

"I'm sure the bandages will do," the older man interrupted. "Like I said I feel fine."

The blond shrugged. "Very well." He carefully cut away some of the hair around the wound then pulled the cut together and closed it with three small bandages. "Would you like to take a shower while the tea is brewing? You still have blood all over you," he asked once he was done.

"That would be great, thank you."

"Then let me show you the way." He led the way upstairs to the major bathroom. "Here we are," Milliardo opened the door. "There is soap and shampoo in the shower." The young man grabbed a couple of clean towels for the linen closet and put them next to the sink. "Let me see if I can find something for you to wear, your clothes have blood stains all over them."

He walked back into his bedroom to grab a pair of boxers, a long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. "It's not much, bit at least they are clean and they should fit you."

The tawny-haired man nodded gratefully as he begun to unbutton his shirt. "Thank you."

"When you're finished, just come back downstairs," Milliardo told him before he left. "Oh, and maybe you shouldn't lock the door, just in case."

* * *

Relena was still waiting for the water for the tea to boil when her brother walked into the kitchen. "How is he?" she wanted to know.

Milliardo shrugged. "He says he is fine."

"But you are still concerned, aren't you?"

"Well head injuries can be complicated, and the fact that he can't remember anything worries me somewhat," he admitted.

"Couldn't you call Doctor Po and ask her for some advice?"

Dr. Po was one of the emergency physicians at the trauma center he worked at as an ambulance assistant.

"I don't think she could do much without actually seeing and examining him. He refuses to go to the hospital and it's not like I can, or want to, force him."

"That's true, I suppose," Relena agreed thoughtfully. "It has got to be scary to suddenly not to remember who you are. But maybe he just needs some rest and in time his memory will return."

"Yeah," Milliardo nodded. "That's what I'm hoping for too. Now, about that tea... Why don't you let me finish it? You still have homework to so, don't you?"

"Okay, thanks."

"And Relena," he told her firmly. "Don't sit on the computer for too long. It's a school night, remember."

"Yes Mother," she smirked at him.

Her brother huffed playfully. "Teenagers!"

Relena laughed as she threw her arms around his neck to kiss him good night. His statement was especially funny considering that Milliardo himself had turned twenty only a few months ago. "Good Night, Miri."

"Good Night, Lena."

* * *

Milliardo turned his head at the sound of footsteps. He had just settled down on the couch in the living room. For some reason Milliardo's heart almost skipped a beat as he watched the older man walk down the stairs. _How can anybody look this graceful in a tee-shirt and pair of sweats_? For a moment he wondered if his guest perhaps was a model or actor, considering the way he carried himself. He certainly had the face for it too. But then again if that was the case, he would probably remember seeing him in a movie or advertisement.

"You look a lot better."

"Thank you, I feel better too."

"Come here, have a seat. Tea?" the blond asked, gesturing at the pot and cups on the table.

"Please." The tawny haired man settled down in the chair across from his gracious host.

"I guess it could take a while till your memory returns, but it would help to at least know what to call you." Milliardo commented as he poured the tea.

"How about Treize!"

"Treize?" The blond looked up, baffled.

His guest took off his wristwatch and showed it to Milliardo, holding it so that he could see an engraving on the back of the watch. It was only a short inscription, reading '_To Treize Happy birthday_' "I discovered it when I took the watch off to take a shower," he explained. "So, unless of course I stole that watch from somebody..."

"I don't know, but you don't seem the kind of person who goes around stealing watches of people." Milliardo remarked. "I think it's safe to assume that it is your watch and your name on it."

"Well thank you for your vote of confidence." A tiny smirk tugged on the corners of the older man's mouth.

It was the first time Milliardo had seen Treize smile, and he couldn't help but think that it looked good on him. For a few moments the two men sat silently, sipping their tea. The cats were chasing each other up and down the stairs, and Mr. Scruff strolled over to the table and curled up next to Treize, using the man's feet as a pillow.

Treize bend down to pet him. "You are a big guy aren't you? – What is he anyway?"

Milliardo shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. All I can tell you, it's a dog."

The older man gave a quiet laugh. "Are you even sure about that? Seems to me as though somebody sold you a polar bear instead of a puppy."

The blond chuckled. "Yeah I have been wondering that too when we first got him and he was growing like 5 inches a day."

After a couple more moments Treize looked up. "You don't have to answer this if you don't want. But I was wondering… How old are you?"

"I just turned twenty in August."

The tawny-haired man raised one eyebrow in surprise. "Yet, you live here by yourself with your sister?"

"Yeah, well, it isn't by choice. Our parents died a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that. And I'm sorry to have brought it up. I didn't mean to wake painful memories."

"It's alright. It's been a long time," Milliardo assured him, but his eyes told a different story, as he stared down into his half empty tea cup.

Treize felt an instant flash of sympathy, and guilt for having caused that pain. "Nevertheless, I'm sorry."

He hadn't realized until now how worn out he was. Perhaps the herbal tea has something to do with it too, but Treize felt suddenly dog tired. He tried to stifle a yawn, but the other man noticed it anyway.

"You must me exhausted. It's getting late too. Why don't we call it a night? You can sleep in the bedroom upstairs. I'll take the couch."

"That seems hardly fair," Treize objected. "You have already been kind enough to take me in; you shouldn't have to give up your bed as well."

"It's alright," Milliardo laughed. "This couch is actually quite comfortable. I made sure of that when I bought it, since I have the tendency to fall asleep while watching TV."

* * *

Milliardo wasn't sure what woke him. Hercules was lying rolled up by his feet; while his brother, Titan, was probably sleeping in Relena's room as usually. The young man yawned and blinked a few timed before he was able to make out the clock on the wall. It was shortly after three thirty in the morning; way too early to get up. He rolled over to go back to sleep, when it occurred to him that it might be a good idea to check on Treize.

Hercules meowed in protest as Milliardo pushed away the covers and rose to his feet. Quietly the young man made his way upstairs. He stopped and listened for a moment outside the bedroom, before slowly opening the door. He slipped into the room and walked over to the bed, relived when in the soft light of the moon he could see Treize's chest rise and fall slowly and steadily. The tawny haired man was sleeping peacefully. As he watched the slumbering face, Milliardo suddenly felt the urge to touch him. He reached out slowly, hesitantly and brushed his fingertips gently over the other man's lips before he came to his senses and jerked his hand away. _What the hell am I doing?_

He turned and fled the bedroom, his heart pounding vigorously in his chest.

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

**Strays**

**Part 2**

"Treize… Treize…!"

It took a few moments before his mind registered that somebody was calling his name. He opened his eyes and blinked, confused for a moment before he remembered where he was and how he got here. Milliardo was standing next to his bed.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." He stifled a yawn.

"Sorry for having to wake you, but breakfast is ready."

_Breakfast…_ The delicious smell of coffee, eggs and toast made him suddenly realize that he was starving.

"I washed your shirt last night, but I'm afraid the pants need dry cleaning," the blond continued. "But I found a pair of jeans that should fit you, so at least you got something clean to wear for now."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"I'll see you downstairs then."

As Milliardo left the tawny haired man pushed away the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He yawned again as he shuffled into the bathroom to wash up and get dressed. _I think I'm not a morning person. _

By the time Treize came downstairs Relena was already finished eating.

"Good morning," she greeted him with a smile as she hurried past him to her room.

"Good morning."

Moments later she returned with her backpack in hand. Milliardo stopped her just before she was able to dash out of the door. "Lena, what about your eggs, you have barely touched them."

"Sorry, I'm late." She told her brother. "Dorothy will be here any moment to pick me up. Oh, I almost forgot. Those text books I ordered came in; they are fifty three dollar."

"Does it have time till Friday when I get paid?" he asked.

"I'm sure that will be okay. I'll tell Miss Carter that I'll pay for them Monday morning."

Just then a car was honking outside.

"I got to go. Bye."

"Bye, see you tonight." Milliardo called after her, then he turned to Treize who was still standing somewhat tentative by the kitchen door. "Come in, sit down and eat. It won't be any good when it gets cold."

"Thanks, don't mind if I do." His stomach rumbled at the prospect of food as Treize took his seat at the table and helped himself to a piece of toast and a serving of scrambled eggs with bacon.

"Coffee?" the blond asked.

"Please."

"I have to go to work in about half an hour," Milliardo announced as he poured the piping hot drink.

The tawny haired man nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll be ready to leave too when you go."

"And go where?" the blond asked.

"I'm not sure," Treize admitted. "But…"

"Then why don't you stay here for a few more days; at least until you have decided what to do or your memory returns. Besides I was planning on taking your pants to the cleaner this morning. They won't be done until at least tomorrow evening."

A tiny smirk tugged on the corners of his mouth as Treize looked up from his plate. "You really **are** an angel, you know that?"

Milliardo's laugh sounded somewhat embarrassed. "Then it's settled, you will stay?"

"How could I not."

For a few moments they ate quietly until Treize asked. "Where is the dog by the way?" he realized only now that he hadn't seen Mr. Scruff this morning since he came downstairs.

"Oh, he is still in the laundry room. We have to feed him in there and keep him locked in until the cats get a chance to finish their breakfast."

"Ah," Treize nodded understandingly. "I guess otherwise he would eat their food too!"

"Actually," Milliardo told him. "He would probably first eat them then their food. Scruff is a good dog, most of the time; except when it comes to food. I think it has probably to do with the fact that he lived on the streets as a puppy where he had to fight for his meals."

"So, I'm not the first 'stray' you have taken in?"

Milliardo laughed. "Not by far."

* * *

Treize sighed as he flipped listlessly through several TV channels. _Is there really nothing on but Talk shows and Soap operas at this time of the day?_

When Milliardo had left about an hour ago, he had told the older man to relax and take it easy. He had also given him his cell phone number and urged him not to hesitate to call him if he didn't feel well.

Treize finally turned off the TV. When he set the remote down on the little oval glass table his eyes fell upon a book. He picked it up and flipped through it. A handbook for parametric; apparently Milliardo had still been studying last night before going to sleep.

Treize couldn't help but admire the young man. For somebody who had suddenly lost his parents and was forced to drop out of school, grow up and become a 'parent' himself to his younger sister, he had kept an amazingly positive attitude. His kindheartedness was remarkable too. Treize could imagine that it had to be hard to make ends meet with just Milliardo's salary, yet the young man invited him into his house without hesitation, even though that meant that there was going to be another mouth to feed.

A large paw scratching at his leg ripped the tawny haired man from his musings. Mr. Scruff was sitting next to his chair begging to be pet, brown eyes hopeful, tail wagging.

"You and I are pretty much alike; two stays picked up from the street." Treize patted the large dog's head. "Although I'd have to say we are two pretty lucky strays."

Mr. Scruff gave a quiet bark, his tail wagging briskly.

"You agree!" the tawny-haired man laughed. "Well, maybe we should do something to earn our kibbles." He rose and started to roll up the sleeves of his shirt. "So, where to we start?"

* * *

"Hi"

Relena almost jumped at the sound of Treize's voice. She had been looking through some cabinets in the kitchen, trying to decide what she should make for dinner, and hadn't even heard the man approach. "Oh, hello."

"Did I startle you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he apologized.

The young girl laughed, somewhat embarrassed. "It's alright, I must have spaced out I guess."

"I was just wondering if there is something I can do to help."

"No, no," She shook her head resolutely. "You have already done so much. I don't think I remember this house ever being so clean. Besides, I'm still trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Milliardo will be late tonight, so it's my turn to cook."

"Is that so?" Treize pulled out one of the chairs at the small kitchen table to sit down. "Does he work late a lot?"

"No, it's just that Brother takes classes twice every week, right after work. So he doesn't come home till almost eight," she explained.

"Oh, I see. If you don't mind me asking, what's your brother doing for a living anyway?"

"Right now he works as an ambulance assistant, but he is trying to become a paramedic."

"Ah, that explains his medical knowledge. He seemed very professional as he took care of me last night."

"Yeah, Milliardo always wanted to become an emergency physician, but after our parents died he dropped out of school so that he could take a full time job and support us." Relena sighed. "I feel bad really, because he is always putting me first and making sure I have everything I need without ever thinking of himself. But I'm glad that he got the job at the trauma center and is going back to school now. Maybe it's not too late for him to get his dream job some day. His colleagues are very supportive too. They always make sure that his work schedule doesn't interfere with his classes. I think Noin was even the one who suggested for him to go back to school."

"Noin?" Treize echoed. "His girlfriend… fiancé?"

"Oh no, nothing like that," Relena laughed. "She is one of the paramedics he works with. They are good friends but that's all. I do think she fancies him, but Milliardo really doesn't date."

_I can't say I blame her. But I'm glad to hear that there is nobody special in his life._ The tawny haired man thought with a satisfied smile. "He doesn't date, period? Or just not coworker?"

"Truth is he doesn't do much of anything but work and study. I think the last time he went to a movie theater they probably still showed movies in black and white.

Treize chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

"Oh god, listen to me chatting. I have been talking your ears off, haven't I? I'm so sorry."

He flashed her brilliant smile and made a dismissive gesture. "Not at all, not at all. I really don't mind listening. In fact I would love to hear more. You and your brother are really close, aren't you?"

* * *

"I'm home!" Milliardo sighed in relief as he kicked off his shoes in the hall. "Something smells good, what did you cook, Lena?" he asked as he popped his head through the kitchen door.

"I didn't," his sister told him. "Treize did all the cooking today. Go wash your hands we are just about to dish up."

"Great, I'm starving." The young man disappeared into the bathroom to clean up. A few minutes later he was sitting at the table together with Treize and Relena.

"Oh, this is delicious," he exclaimed appreciatively after taking the first bite of the roast. "You really cooked that, Treize?"

"I'm glad you like it."

"He didn't only cook; he even had the whole house cleaned by the time I came home from school," Relena pointed out.

"Really," Milliardo looked at his sister, then at Treize. "You really didn't have to do that."

"I know." The tawny haired man nodded. "But it was either that or watching Jerry Springer all morning long. Cleaning seemed the lesser of the two evils. Besides, you have been so kind to me. Helping out around the house is the least I can do in return. That way I feel less like I'm taking advantage."

"Well, we are grateful. Thanks." Milliardo assured him with a smile. He took another bite from his meal before he continued. "You really are a great cook. How did you get all the ingredients you needed for this?"

"Actually I started by making a list of what I found in the fridge, freezer and pantries. Relena was so kind to let me use her computer to search the internet for recipes including stuff I had on my list. So, it wasn't that hard." Treize explained.

"That's amazing. You even made the gravy from scratch?"

"Yeah, well, I did have to improvise a little on that one," the older man admitted with a slight smirk. "The original recipe asked for a 30 year old port wine."

"Yeah, I'm afraid we are fresh out of that." Milliardo chuckled.

"Miri can only make gravy from mix packages."

The blond gave his sister a feign glare across the table. "You think it is wise to make fun of the person who controls your allowances?"

"But Brother," Relena blinked innocently. "I meant that in the fondest way possible."

"Oh I'm sure you did."

Just then the oven beeper went off, and Treize put down his napkin and rose form the table. "That's the desert; if you'd excuse me for a moment."

"There is desert too?" Milliardo asked pleasantly surprised. "This is getting better by the minute."

"Nothing fancy," the older man told him as he reached for the pot holders and pulled a small cake from the oven, "just some almond cake."

"Nothing fancy he says," the blond laughed. "You know; if you keep spoiling us like this, we might just decide to keep you here forever."

"I'm so full, I can't eat another bite," Milliardo announced about twenty minutes later, as he put down his napkin. "I don't think I have eaten this much in a long time. But everything was so delicious."

"Well, thank you."

"No, I really mean it. You are an incredible cook."

"Maybe that's it," Relena threw in. "She was still working on her piece of cake. "Maybe you are a cook! Or more likely the head chef in one of those fancy four or five star restaurants. You seemed to know your way around the kitchen very well."

"Hm…" Treize tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That's a possibility. I really seem to enjoy cooking."

"Great thinking, Relena," Milliardo commended.

"Oh, by the way, Miri," Relena gave her brother the best puppy eyed look she could master. "Do you mind if I'd clean the dishes later? Cindy called earlier and asked if I wanted to come over to her house to watch a movie after dinner."

"That's fine. Just make sure you don't stay out too late. And don't worry about the dishes; I'll take care of them."

"Thanks, you are the best. Can I take the car?"

Milliardo nodded. "Drive safely."

"I will," she promised before she weaseled off to her room to get ready.

Her brother shook his head as he watched her. "I just don't understand teenage girls. How can it be that they have the attention span of an earthworm when it comes to homework, but they can spend hours on the phone without a break? Or why is it necessary to put on make-up just to go to a friend's house to watch a movie."

Treize gave a low bubbling laugh. "One of mankind's last unsolved mysteries, isn't it?"

"Yeah, something like that," Milliardo grinned as he rose to start cleaning the table.

"Let me help you," the older man suggested.

"That's really not necessary."

"But I insist."

"Fine, it's not like I can stop you."

They cleared the table together and when Milliardo begun to wash the dishes Treize reached wordlessly for a towel to dry them and put them away. They passed the time with small talk, and it didn't take long for Milliardo to realize that he enjoyed the other man's company very much. Treize was charming, witty and intelligent. Talking to him made cleaning the kitchen more like entertainment than a task.

The tawny-haired man reached for another plate, dried it and was about to put it into the cabinet when he suddenly froze in mid-motion.

"Treize!" Milliardo asked alarmed. "Are you alright?"

Treize looked at him over his shoulder and nodded. "For a brief moment I just had what I think was a memory flash. It's hard to explain but I just had that picture of a different kitchen, in my own apartment I assume, in my head."

"That's good," the blond nodded. "That probably means you memory is starting to return."

"Yeah, I guess, It just was…rather unexpected," Treize admitted, "and way too brief."

"There, all done," Treize put down the dish towel and looked around the clean kitchen. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," Milliardo admitted. "Thanks for helping."

"My pleasure. So, what should we do now, it's still too early to go to bed."

"It seems like a nice evening to take a walk together…together with Mister Scruff I mean." A slight hue of crimson stained the blond's cheeks as he realized the slip of tongue.

The other man didn't seem to notice. "That sounds like a lovely idea," he agreed.

Milliardo pulled a black leather jacket from the hall closet. "There, this should fir you." Fortunately their similar size and statue allowed Treize to wear the younger man's clothes.

Mr. Scruff didn't need to be called. When Milliardo reached for the leash he knew that he was invited too. He jumped up from his doggy bed beneath the window and dashed for the door as fast as his 200 pounds allowed it. Milliardo quickly moved out of the way to avoid being run over, but as he stepped backward he somehow lost his footing and stumbled. Luckily Treize was right behind him.

The blond's heart nearly skipped a beat when a pair of strong yet surprisingly gentle arms caught him.

"Are you alright?"

Milliardo nodded. "How clumsy of me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Treize smirked ever so slightly. "I'm more that happy to catch you…whenever you fall."

Milliardo could feel himself blush again. "Well thank you, that's good to know. But I think you can let go now."

"Are you sure?" Treize's eyes sparkled with mirth as he gazed at the blond without releasing his hold.

_Is he trying to flirt with me?_ The younger man swallowed. He gazed up, nearly loosing himself in those ice-blue orbs. "I…"

Just then Mr. Scruff started to scratch impatiently at the door, bringing Milliardo back to his senses. He quickly freed himself from Treize's grasp and straightened. "Alright, alright, we are coming already. No need to break down the door."

The tawny haired man glared at the canine. _Spoilsport!

* * *

_

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

**Strays**

**Part 3**

_Treize woke in the back of a moving car. From the front he could hear two men talking._

"_This is crazy, Jim. Stealing a car is one thing; but kidnapping and murder I want nothing to do with, man. Pull over and let me out now."_

"_Shut up!" the other man, apparently Jim, told his partner. "Like it or not, but you are in this just as much as I am. Besides what difference does it make? Car theft or murder, we both have two strikes against us already. If they catch us they will lock us up for life anyway. So it's better to make sure that they don't catch us, wouldn't you agree?"_

"_You said we would steal a couple of luxury cars and sell them. Man, I didn't bargain for this…"_

"_Do you think I did? It's not my fault that that guy surprised us. But now we are better off getting rid of him. Did you take a look at his wallet; all those credit cards? We can withdraw enough dough to disappear and live the good life till the end of our days, before the cops even find his body."_

_The other man grumbled, apparently still not convinced._

_Treize swallowed. He had been inching toward the door while he was listening to the two crooks. Ever so slowly he moved his hand toward the silver doorknob, and prayed that it wasn't locked. Trying to jump from a moving car wasn't exactly a smart idea, but the alternative seemed even worse._

_Luck appeared to be on his side, because the car slowed down as they approached a traffic light, and Treize reacted. The door flew open and he pushed himself out of the car. Somehow he managed to pull up his knees before he hit the pavement. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he tumbled a few times, dazed, before he was able to jump up onto his feet and run. He had no idea where he was, and was driven purely by instinct and adrenalin. _

Treize's eyes snapped open. His heart was beating frantically. He sat up in the bed, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and tried to calm down his breathing. It was the third night in the row that he had this dream, and he was starting to wonder if it was more then just a nightmare.

The tawny haired man reached for his watch that was sitting on the nightstand. It was only 2 am, too early to get up. He put the watch down again and settled back into his pillows. For the longest time he just lay there and stared at the ceiling, unable to go back to sleep because his mind kept wandering back to his dream. Could it be that this kidnapping really happened and now he was subconsciously reliving those memories?

Finally he turned on the light and picked up the book that he had been reading the evening before, but he managed only to read a few pages of the novel before a quiet knock at the bedroom door interrupted him.

"Yes, come in."

The door opened and Milliardo's platinum-blond head appeared in the room. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Everything is fine," Treize assured him. "Just a nightmare, or bad memories, I'm not sure which." He shrugged. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"You didn't. I couldn't sleep either for some reason. I was just about to make some tea when I saw the lights on in your room."

"Tea sounds wonderful. I'll help you." The older man suggested.

* * *

About twenty minutes later the two men were sitting in the kitchen, sipping hot, honey-sweetened tea and nibbling on oatmeal cookies that Relena had baked the day before.

"Do you often have trouble sleeping?" Treize wanted to know.

"Occasionally," Milliardo admitted. "But I don't like to take anything. So I usually just get up, have some tea and watch TV."

"You have a lot on your mind, which makes it harder to relax and fall asleep. But sitting awake and watching TV really isn't the solution. You don't get enough sleep that way."

The younger man snorted in amusement. "Look who is talking."

"Well, the difference is that I'm at home and I can take a nap when I get tired during the day, while you are out there driving an ambulance all day long." Treize pointed out.

"I suppose you are right. But there isn't much I can do."

"There might be. You just have to try to relax your body and mind. Some soft music and a nice massage should help. Would you like to give it a try?"

Milliardo's laugh sounded somewhat nervous. "I think I'll pass."

"I promise I won't do anything you don't want," the tawny haired man assured him with a brilliant smile. "And if you don't like it I'll stop."

Milliardo flushed slightly, even as he finally nodded. "Fine."

"Excellent." Treize took the last sip of his tea and put the cup into the sink to be cleaned later. Then, while he turned on the radio and searched for a station with soft, instrumental music, he told the younger man to lie down in the couch and relax.

Milliardo stretched out, belly down on the couch and pulled the blanket up to his hips. He swallowed as Treize knelt down next to the sofa, afraid that the older man might hear his wildly thumping heartbeat.

"Are you ready for me to start?"

He nodded and forced himself to relax as Treize's fingers begun to knead the tense muscles at the back of his neck. The fact that Milliardo was only wearing pajama bottoms made things a lot easier. Strong but gentle hands pressed against his back; palms and fingers run over his shoulders working at the knots.

His anxiety faded away quickly. He closed his eyes and he felt like he was floating in a warm sea as the older man's hands stimulated the blood flow to his back. Strong, nimble fingers moved down his spine, thumbs pressed into pressure points.

"How does it feel?"

"Feels…good…" His speech was becoming somewhat slurred as he started to drift off.

Treize continued his massage. He would have loved to show the younger man that his talents didn't stop at easing tense muscles, but he had assured Milliardo that he wouldn't do anything; and a promise was a promise.  
A few minutes later he noticed that the blond's breathing had become deep and even.

"Milliardo?" he asked quietly.

There was no answer. The young man had fallen asleep. His handsome face was peacefully relaxed, long silvery lashes touching faintly flushed cheeks, full lips slightly parted.

Treize smiled softly as he rose to his feet. He reached for the comforter and pulled it up to Milliardo's shoulders. "Sleep well."

He turned off the radio and yawned. _Perhaps I should try to get a little more sleep too.

* * *

_

Treize had just stepped out of the shower when the phone rang. He wrapped a towel around his hips and shuffled into the bedroom to take the call. "Peacecraft Residence."

"Hi, it's me," Milliardo's voice came from the other end of the line. "I'm such an airhead. I forgot the shopping list that I made this morning."

"Yeah, I noticed that. It's sitting on the kitchen counter."

"Good thing my head is attached to my shoulders," the blond laughed somewhat sheepishly. "Or I might just forget it too some day. Can you do me a favor and read me the list."

"Can I call you back with that; I just got out of the shower."

"Oh, sure."

"Are you planning on going to the market right after work?"

"Yes," Milliardo confirmed. "I have a lot of overtime, so I'm going to leave work a couple hours early today. Oh, by the way. You don't have to worry about dinner tonight. It's Friday, Relena will be spending the evening with her friends. And I thought the two of us should go out for dinner too. There is this little Italian restaurant I love. They have the best 'spaghetti a la carbonara' outside of Italy. I haven't been there in ages."

"Hm…"

"What's wrong? You don't like Italian? We can go somewhere else."

"No, that's not it," Treize assured him quickly. "It's just that…you don't have to take me out for dinner. I feel bad enough as it is smooching off of you."

Milliardo gave another laugh. "I wouldn't exactly call it _smooching_. Besides, I think it will be fun, and I insist that you come."

"Very well," the older man agreed. "If it makes you happy."

"Great; it's a date then. I've got to go now. Don't forget to call me back with that shopping list."

"I won't" Treize assured him.

* * *

The tawny haired man whistled quietly as he carried a load of cleaned and folded laundry upstairs. This morning when he had asked Milliardo to show him how to use the washing machine the young man had laughed and joked that he would have to start paying Treize soon as a live-in housekeeper.

Treize didn't mind the work. In fact it made him feel very relaxed and comfortable. It was hard to believe that only five days has passed since that night when the Peacecraft siblings had found him in the park. Somehow he felt like he had known them forever. Perhaps that was because 'this' really was the only life he knew. He still didn't remember much of his past beyond these five days, and sometimes he wasn't sure if he wanted to remember. He really enjoyed his new life and, although he knew it couldn't' last forever, he wanted hold on to it for a while longer.

Treize walked back downstairs, empty laundry basket in one hand. The TV in the living room was running, turned to some local news channel. He listened to the newscast with only one ear as he went on with his chores, until the mentioning of the name Treize Khushrenada suddenly grabbed his attention. He turned his head to look at the TV and stopped dead in his tracks. Flickering on the screen was a picture of him, dressed in a navy blue three-piece Armani suit, smiling brilliantly into the camera.

Treize frowned as he walked to the nearest chair and dropped into the cushioned seat, his eyes never leaving the TV screen.

"…**According to Lieutenant Snyder, spokesperson for the Orange County Police Department, the multimillionaire and chairman of 'Oz Enterprises' was officially declared missing yesterday…."**

The picture on the screen changed to show him together with a young woman. Her hair was pulled together into two braided buns, her eyes hidden beneath small, thin-rimmed glasses, giving her a very stern and professional appearance.

"…**The Lieutenant told our reporter that Anneliese Une, Khushrenada's fiancé and long time business partner, informed the police on Monday about his disappearance. According to department policies a report was taken even though a missing person's case can not officially be opened until at least 72 hours after that person's disappearance…."**

_Khushrenada's fiancé and long time business partner…_The line kept echoing through his mind. _I'm engaged! That's right. That woman... I think I remember her. _

"…**Last night Miss Une talked exclusively to our reporter Kristine Daun."** The newscaster continued. Then the picture cut to the taped interview.

Treize blinked. In the interview Miss Une looked nothing at all like the woman shown earlier in the picture with him. She was dressed in a very fashionable house suit. Her hair was loose and she was wearing no glasses.

"**The police seemed to believe that Mr. Khushrenada disappeared on his own free will."** The reporter stated.

"**Yes, I had that impression too when I talked to them. But Treize Khushrenada would never do such a thing."**

"**We learned just hours ago that his car was found near the Rockfield** **International** **Airport."**

"**Yes, they informed me about that."**

"**But that still doesn't change your opinion?"**

"**Absolutely not."**

"**Can you tell us a little more about your fiancé? We know that completely rebuilt 'OZ Enterprises' after his father's death and became one of the most influential business people in this country within a few years. But how is he as a person?"**

"**He is kind, generous, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor. And he is very old school and hopelessly romantic. He is also the kind of person who will donate 10000 dollar to a charity and still feel bad for not doing more. OZ is his life. As you said, he completely rebuilt the company and put countless hours into it."**

"**And you have been with him right from the beginning, haven't you?"**

"**More or less. His father took me as an intern only a few months before he passed away. When Treize took over the company he saw that I had pretty much the same vision as he, so he made me an executive manager and later I became his partner."**

"**You are equal partners, aren't you?"**

"**That's right. Treize insisted on it. He said if anything was to happen to either of us the other one should be able to lead OZ in the way we had planned it."**

"**Would you mind telling is when you saw Mr. Khushrenada for the last time and when you noticed that something wasn't right?"**

"**Of course not. We attended a business dinner on Sunday evening after which he drove me home. He stayed for a cup of coffee and excused himself around 10:30, because we both had to get up early the next morning. When he didn't show up in the office the following day I knew immediately that something was wrong. It's not his style to be tardy. He usually even calls when he is stuck in traffic and late in the morning. I called his cell phone all day long but he didn't answer, so I went to the police that evening…"**

Treize was barely listening to the rest of the interview. His head was spinning, trying to comprehend the things he just heard. It was like parts of a puzzle were suddenly starting to fall into place. Finally his nightmare was starting to make sense. He had driven her home after dinner and left his car in the street while he went inside with her for a cup of coffee. - He still didn't remember much off that part, but if she said so, that's how it must have been.

When he came back somebody was trying to break into his car. He remembered yelling at the man, but he didn't realize that there was a second crook until something hit him on the head from behind. After that everything went black, and he had no idea what happened until he woke in the back of his own car.

The tawny haired man finally turned off the TV, picked up the phone and called 'Information'.

"The listing for the main office of OZ Enterprises please," he requested.

Moments later he dialed that number. A machine picked up on the other end, and an automated, female voice asked him to dial the extension of the person he wanted to reach or to press 0 for the operator.

Treize hesitated for a second or two before he pushed 7 5 3. He wasn't sure how he knew this number; it was just another memory triggered by newscast.

After the second ring somebody picked up. "OZ Enterprises, Anneliese Une's office."

It was her voice, he was sure. "Anne?" he asked hesitantly, instinctively using the shortened form of her name as he always did.

There was a moment of surprised silence. "Treize?" she asked. "Treize is that you? Where are you?"

He opened his mouth for a reply but suddenly he wasn't sure what to say. _What am I doing?_ He pressed the 'off' button and stood there frozen for several moments before hanging the phone slowly back into its cradle.

* * *

When Milliardo came home his houseguest was sitting in the living room, reading a newspaper. He couldn't help but notice that the older man seemed a little more serious than usually.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Everything is fine," Treize assured him, but his smile looked somewhat forced.

Milliardo didn't push the issue any further. Whatever it was, Treize apparently didn't want to talk about it. "Would you mind helping me bring in the groceries from the car?" he asked instead.

"Of course." Treize folded the paper up and rose. "How was your day?" he wanted to know.

"Rather slow, but I'm not complaining. I'm glad that I don't work tonight. Friday night is always crazy in the emergency room for some reason."

The two men continued to make small talk as they unloaded the car and put away the groceries. Treize pulled two bottles of red wine from one of the paper bags and raised one eyebrow in mild surprise. He had never seen Milliardo drink.

The blond, noticing the reaction, shrugged. "They were on sale, and I thought it would be nice to have some at home. I don't know much about wine though."

Treize nodded. "I see."

"By the way," the younger man continued. "I'm not working this weekend. What would you think about driving up to the mountains to go fishing?"

"Fishing?" Treize echoed. "I'm not sure, but I don't think I have ever been fishing before."

"It will be fun," Milliardo insisted. "A family friend owns a cabin up at Lake Mammoth. I called him earlier today and he said we can have it for the weekend. So, what do you think?"

"I'm looking forward to it. It **does** sound like fun. But what about the pets?"

"We will take Scruff; he will love it up there. Relena will take care of the cats."

"You mean she is not going to come with us?" Treize asked.

"Relena, in the mountains, fishing; are you kidding me? She would never spend the weekend that far away from her friends and 'civilization'. No internet, no shopping mall, and did I mention it's a cabin in the woods?"

Treize chuckled. "Well, if you take it that way…"

Milliardo smiled, glad that the older man seemed in better spirits now.

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

**Strays**

**Part 4**

Milliardo was whistling as he came downstairs from taking a shower, and Treize who has just finished making coffee, wondered how anybody could be so cheerful this early in the morning.

"What's with the gloomy face?" the blond asked as he walked into the kitchen. "I thought you were looking forward to this trip."

"I do. I just didn't realize that you were planning to leave in the middle of the night?"

Milliardo gave a soft, deep chuckle. "Oh come on, it's almost 5 o'clock. We will be there at sunrise, it will be great. I still remember when my father took me fishing when I was a kid. We would actually sleep in sleeping bags outside by the lake just to make sure that we could watch the sun rise in the morning. We definitely have to make a campfire and bake some fish like my dad taught me. It's delicious."

The young man's cheerfulness and excitement was contagious. Treize couldn't help but smile as he poured the coffee. "Sounds like you had a wonderful relationship with your father, growing up. You did a lot of things together?"

"We did. I'm sure your father did stuff with you too, didn't he?"

"I'm not sure." Treize shrugged. _But I'm not counting on it. What I remember so far of my childhood and adolescent years, consists of private boarding schools, polo, tennis and formal parties at the country club. No, I'm rather sure that fishing and camping was definitely not a part of my family life._

When Milliardo noticed the change in Treize's expression he took it the wrong way. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I know you don't remember,' he apologized. "For what it's worth I'm happy to do what I can to help you create new memories."

"Thanks." Treize couldn't even look the younger man in the eyes. _I need to tell him. But I'm afraid how he might react. I know I'm being selfish, but I don't want to loose what I have now. I'll tell him on Monday,_ he promised himself. _I want him to enjoy the weekend._

Relena shuffled into the kitchen, still in her pajamas, followed by Hercules and Titan. "You are leaving already?"

"Yes," Milliardo confirmed. They had packed up the car the night before and all they had to add now was the cooler with the fresh food. "But why are you up already?"

The blond girl pointed at the two felines. "They insisted that it is morning and time for breakfast when they heard you rummaging about in the kitchen."

"Sorry, we really didn't mean to be that noisy."

Relena made a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry about it, Miri. I'll go back to sleep after you guys have left."

"We will be out here soon. But Relena, remember what we talked about; no drinking and no parties!"

"I know, I know." She rolled her eyes. "I've told you already that I'm jut going to hang out with my friends like I always do on the weekend. If you don't trust me…"

"I **do **trust you," he assured her. "Otherwise I wouldn't leave you by yourself in the first place."

* * *

Milliardo gazed into the rear view mirror then to his right. On his blanket on the backseat Mr. Scruff was sleeping, in the front seat Treize was asleep as well. 

The young man couldn't help but smile. In fact he had not felt so cheerful and content in a very long time. He wasn't sure why, but being near Treize made him…well, happy.

He truly liked Treize, and somehow he had the feeling the other man saw something in him too. At first he hadn't been sure, but by now he was pretty certain that Treize was gay, or at least bi-sexual. The older man had been casually flirting with him almost from the beginning. And truth to be told, he really didn't mind the attention.  
He had come to terms with his own sexuality a long time ago, and even most of his co-workers knew that he was gay. But until now his relationships had been more or less casual lings, lasting rarely longer than a few dates. Noin insisted that was because his heart wasn't in it, and perhaps she was right. He really never had been serious about anybody before. With Treize it was different. But of course he was aware that, even if they started a relationship, it couldn't last forever. Sooner or later Treize would remember, or they would find out, who he was and would leave to go back to his old life. But until then, he had decided, he wanted to make the best of every minute that they had.

Treize stirred. Eyelids fluttered then opened slowly. The tawny-haired man turned his head to look at Milliardo and smirked. "Are we there yet?" he asked cheekily.

The younger man laughed. "Good morning."

"Do you want me to take over?" Treize gestured at the steering wheel.

"You don't have a driver's license."

"Just because I don't have one on me, doesn't mean I don't have one," the older man pointed out.

"It's alright, really." Milliardo assured him. "We are almost there."

And sure enough, no more than fifteen minutes later the blond pulled up in front of a cabin, located only a few hundred yards from the lake.

"It's beautiful."

"And we made it just in time." Milliardo looked up into the sky as he climbed out of the driver seat. "Should we go down to the shore and watch the sunrise?"

"What about the stuff in the car?"

"That won't go anywhere, trust me." The young man opened the door to let the dog out of the back seat, then unlocked the trunk to grab one of the blankets he had packed.

"Come on, let's go." He gestured for Treize to follow him. "Scruff!"

As they spread out the blanket and settled down at the lake shore, the sun was painting the first orange streaks across the dark sky. The first birds had woken and began their morning concert.

"It's so peaceful."

"Yeah." Milliardo nodded in agreement.

The two men were sitting close enough that their shoulders touched. Treize hesitated for a moment before slipping his arm loosely around Milliardo's waist, relieved when the other man didn't resist.

They sat there, silently watching as the rising sun tinted the horizon first in shades or red, then in a brilliantly golden color. The wind was blowing gently, rustling playfully through the trees and creating little ripples on the water's surface.

Treize smiled softly as Milliardo moved closer and rested his head against the older man's shoulder. He tightened his embrace slightly. "Are you cold?"

"No, it's alright," the blond assured him. "Let's stay just a little longer."

* * *

Milliardo had really been serious about going fishing. Soon after lunch they had loaded up the boat with bait, fishing rods and a few cans of cold beer, and paddled out onto the lake. 

Treize tried to stifle a yawn.

"Tired or bored?" Milliardo asked in slight amusement.

"A combination of both I guess," the older man admitted. "We have been here for…"

"Not even thirty minutes."

"That can't be; your watch must be broken." Treize checked his own watch and frowned when he realized that Milliardo was correct. To him it felt like hours already.

The blond chuckled. "Patience is not one of your strong sides, is it?"

The older man sighed and turned his attention back to his fishing rod.

"Well, let's make this a little more interesting," Milliardo suggested. "Whoever catches the biggest fish gets to decide what we are going to do tonight."

Treize perked up instantly. His head snapped around. "Anything?" he wanted to know.

"Anything…within reason."

"Hmm…," the tawny haired man was still musing what Milliardo might consider reasonable, when his bobber started to move. Suddenly it disappeared under water and the fishing line was pulled taut. Treize instinctively tightened the grip around his rod.

"I got something, Milliardo," he exclaimed excitedly. "I think I got something."

"Pull it in, slowly. Don't let him get away."

"Right." Treize nodded. "It's heavy. He has to be pretty big."

He could feel the fish fight back as he started to reel in the line. Treize rose from his seat and leaned backward. The fishing rod was bending and suddenly the line snapped.

"Treize," Milliardo called out in alarm, but it was already too late.

The tawny haired man stumbled backward, the small boat rocked dangerously, then capsized, throwing both him and Milliardo into the lake.

The water was cold enough to take away his breath for a moment. As his head broke through the water surface Treize gasped for air. He looked around; expecting Milliardo to surface somewhere next to him, but the young man was nowhere to be seen.

"Milliardo!" He was just about to start panicking when something…somebody grabbed him by the ankles and pulled him back under water. He kicked his way back to the surface. When his head popped up he found Milliardo holding on to the overturned boat, laughing so hard that he had tears in his eyes.

Treize splashed water at the other man, giving him a playful scowl. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry…I just… couldn't help it…" Milliardo panted, still laughing. "But let's get out of here before we get sick."

They somehow managed to turn the boat over, retrieve the floating paddles and row back to the shore. By the time they reached the cabin both men were shivering. The wet clothes were heavy and cold and clung to their skin.

"You take the first shower," Milliardo told the older man.

"No, you go," Treize insisted. "I'll put on some sweats and light the fireplace in the meantime."

* * *

By the time Milliardo had finished his shower the older man had not only lit the fireplace, but was also cooking something in the kitchen. It smelled sweet and spicy, an aroma that reminded the young man somehow of Christmas. 

"What are you making?" he asked as he walked into the tiny kitchen area.

Treize, standing by the stove, turned his head. "I took the liberty to open one of the bottles of cabernet you brought and make hot spiced wine. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Milliardo assured him. "But isn't spiced wine something people drink in the wintertime?"

"Not necessarily." The older man shrugged. His eyes sparkled with mirth as he smirked. "But if it makes you feel better we could pretend it is the middle of winter; there is a blizzard howling outside and we are stuck in this cabin, snowed in."

Milliardo laughed. "You surely don't lack imagination, do you?"

"I'll take this as a compliment," Treize chuckled. "Now come here and keep an eye on the pot while I go and take a shower."

"Wait, what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Just wait till the wine starts boiling, turn the heat down and let it simmer for a few minutes, then take it from the fire and remove that little spice package I made." The tawny haired man was already on the way to the stairs when he turned once more. "Oh yeah, and find some glasses we can use."

"Okay, I can do that," Milliardo nodded.

* * *

The two men spent the rest of the afternoon wrapped up in a blanket by the fireplace, sipping sweet, spiced wine. 

The older man had one arm put around Milliardo's waist. The blond was leaning against his shoulder. For a long time nobody spoke a word; they just sat there silently watching the fire. The dancing flames and the soft crackling sounds of the fire created an atmosphere of perfect tranquility.

Treize turned his head and noticed that the other man was watching him. As their eyes met they both smiled. He raised his hand to gently brush his thumb over Milliardo's lips, and the blond leaned slightly into his touch. Treize close the distance between them slowly, giving the other man amble time to pull away if he didn't want this to happen.

But Milliardo never moved. He closed his eyes when their lips met. As gentle warmth spread through his body as they shared their first kiss.

Treize ran his knuckles over the younger man's cheek. "You are so beautiful, Milliardo," he whispered.

He cupped the back of Milliardo's head and leaned in. They kissed again, longer and more passionate this time. The blond's lips parted slightly and Treize slipped his tongue between them, eagerly exploring the hot cavern of the young man's mouth.

Milliardo moaned softly as he wrapped his arms around the older man. His hands slipped beneath Treize's shirt, pushing it up as they ghosted over soft, warm skin.

Treize's hand buried itself in silky strands of platinum-blond hair. Both men were panting breathlessly as they finally broke their kiss.

Milliardo felt his heart pound wildly against his chest. A pleasant shiver ran down his spine when the other man nipped at his earlobe.

Treize placed a trail of soft butterfly kisses along the blond's yaw and down his neck. Nimble fingers undid the first two buttons of Milliardo's shirt to expose more of the tender skin. He slowly lowered the young man onto the floor as he suckled at the newly uncovered flesh. A sound, somewhere between a purr and a growl, escaped his throat as the young man's fingertips slipped beneath the waistband of his pants, brushing teasingly against the beginning curves of his buttocks.

The older man raised his head, beholding the blond for a few moments. Milliardo looked breathtaking. Crystal-blue eyes sparkled with passion. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the alcohol and his lips dark and swollen from the kisses they had exchanged.

Treize was nearly lying on top of the young man. When he moved his hips he could feel Milliardo's manhood press against his own quickly hardening shaft. He slipped his hand between their bodies, fondling the firm flesh. But when his fingers started to fumble at the buttons of Milliardo's fly the blond seized his wrist, stopping him.

Treize pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, somewhat disappointed about the young man's reaction. "Did I move to fast?" he asked. "I'm sorry."

Milliardo gave him a tiny smirk. "That's not it," he assured him. "I just thought it might be better if we move this upstairs. The bed is far more comfortable than this floor."

"Can't argue with that," Treize agreed as he rose. He extended his hand to help the younger man to his feet then pulled him against his body and embraced him. "Any more good ideas?" he asked as he leaned in for another kiss.

"Yes," Milliardo replied with a little smirk after their lips parted. "How about, I take the rest of the wine and you grab what's in the left front pocket of my travel bag." He gestured at the luggage that was still standing by the stairs.

With a questioning look the tawny haired man released Milliardo from his embrace and walked over to the bags. One of his eyebrows rose in a mixture of surprise and amusement as he pulled a small tube of KY jelly and a pack of condoms from the indicated pocket. "I see you've planned ahead."

Milliardo's smirk grew into a wide grin. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

* * *

T.B.C. 

Author's Note:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

**Strays**

**Part 5**

The condo was empty, except for the cats, when Milliardo and Treize returned home on Sunday evening. Relena had left a note on the message board in the hall. It read: "Hope you had a great weekend. I'm at Lindsey's house studying for the math test tomorrow. The cats have been fed; don't let them tell you otherwise." The note was signed with a heart and a big smiley face.

"Well, it looks like it's only the two of us at home tonight. So what should we do?" Milliardo remarked after reading his sister's message. "Watch TV?"

"No," Treize replied quickly. The last thing he wanted right now was for Milliardo to find out about him through a newscast. He wanted to tell him … personally.

"No?" the blond echoed, somewhat surprised.

"It's Sunday, there isn't anything good on TV anyway."

"I suppose that's true, you got any better ideas?"

"Well…" The older man smiled as he slowly stepped closer to Milliardo and wrapped his arms around him. "We could cuddle up on the couch and see what happens." His smile turned into a suggestive smirk.

"Keep talking." Milliardo grinned as he returned the older man's embrace. His hands wandered down Treize's lower back until they came to rest on his buttocks. He cupped the firm globes, squeezing them slightly as he leaned in for a kiss. The feeling of the other man's lips pressing against his own, Treize's unique scent and taste was becoming more and more familiar…and addictive.

Treize's tongue traced over his lips gently trying to coax them apart. The blond closed his eyes, moaning softly as he complied.

The sound of a key being turned in the front door startled the two men. Milliardo hastily freed himself from Treize's embrace and 'fled' into the living room. He plopped into one of the armchairs and buried his burning face in the pages of a magazine.

"Hello there. Welcome home."

"Hey Relena, you are back already! I thought you were studying at your friend's house."

"We did." The teen girl confirmed. "But its Lindsey's brother's birthday and they went out for dinner. She invited me along, but I felt awkward, since it was like a family affair."

Her brother nodded understandingly.

As Relena walked into the living room she gave him a long look, then frowned. "Are you alright, Milliardo? You look flushed. You didn't catch a cold, did you?"

"I'm fine," he assured her quickly and gazed at Treize for help.

The older man opted for a tactical retreat. "Well, I think I'll go and start unloading the car."

"I'll help you." Milliardo was on his feet and out the door in a flash.

"Does she know?" Treize asked as they walked side by side down the driveway.

"Know what?"

"That you are gay."

Milliardo shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's not like I'm discussing my sex-life with my little sister."

"In case you haven't noticed, she isn't that little anymore," the older man pointed out. "I'm sure she learned about the birds and the bees a long time ago."

The blond shot him a glare. "She will always be my 'little' sister. So cut it out."

But Treize wasn't ready to let it go quite yet. "Is that the reason why you don't date? To protect her?" he wanted to know. "Or is it just what you are telling yourself?"

"Treize! That's enough! I don't want to talk about this anymore, alright." Milliardo grabbed two bags from the trunk of the car and headed back to the house. He wasn't sure why the older man's remark bothered him so much. Could it be that Treize was correct? Was he hiding behind Relena because he was afraid of commitment? So what, even if it was true, it was only because he feared to loose anybody else who he loved. After his parent's death he had convinced himself that it was better not to become too attached to anybody. It had worked fine…until Treize crossed his path.

The tawny haired man caught up with him at the door. "I'm sorry," he said, and he sounded sincere. "I should not have said that."

"It's alright."

"On a totally different note…," Treize changed the subject. "Do you know if there is a pawnshop somewhere nearby?"

"No, but there is one near the clinic where I work. Why?"

"I was thinking of pawning my watch. It's the only thing that I have that's worth something."

"Are you sure about that?" Milliardo frowned.

"Yes." Treize nodded. "I realize I won't get much, having a few bucks in my pocket would be better than nothing."

"Well if you want I can take it and pawn it for you tomorrow," the younger man offered.

"Would you? I'd really appreciate that."

* * *

Treize heaved a quiet sigh as he continued to chop up vegetables for the stew he was planning to cook. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't worried. Tonight after dinner, he was going to come forward and tell Milliardo everything. It had to be done and tonight was perfect, because Relena was going out to see a movie with her friends and only the two of them would be home.

In his mind he had gone over this again and again. He knew exactly what he was going to say, but the one thing he couldn't predict was how Milliardo was going to react, especially to the fact that Treize had bee keeping the truth from him for several days.

The ringing of the phone ripped the tawny-haired man from his thoughts.

"I got it!" Relena called out from the living room. He could hear here pick up the receiver. The call wasn't very long, because she hung up again only a few minutes later.

"Treize!" the young girl looked pale as she stepped into the kitchen.

Treize felt his stomach clench instantly. "What's wrong? Is everything alright with Milliardo?"

"That was him on the phone right now. He was calling from jail. He said the police arrested him after he tried to pawn your watch. They are accusing him of kidnapping… kidnapping you."

Treize almost let out a sigh of relief. For a moment there, he had almost feared worse.

"What's going on, Treize? Do you have any idea?" Relena looked at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I never meant for this to happen. But don't worry about anything, Relena. I'll take care of the mess." _Damn it, I didn't think anything like this would happen. I didn't think, period; at least not with my head. _

"Excuse me." The tawny haired man squeezed past Relena, who was standing, still shocked and confused, in the kitchen door. He picked up the phone in the hall and dialed the private number for Une's office at the Oz headquarters.

His fiancé and business partner picked up at the second ring. Treize took a deep breath. He knew he had explaining to do, a lot of explaining. But that would have to wait; right now he had more pressing issues to take care of.

"Anne, it's me."

"Treize! Thank god, you are alright. Where are you?" her voice was laced with a mixture of concern and relief.

"I'll explain everything, later. Right now I need you to listen. There are a few things I need you to do for me."

"Go ahead." Just like that, in the blink of an eye she had turned from concerned fiancé to business woman.

Treize imagined that she had probably reached for pen and paper to take note of his instructions. He was grateful. Une's professionalism was something that had fascinated him from the first time they met.

"First I need you to call my attorney. Tell him do drive to…hold on." He covered the receiver with the palm of his hand and turned to Relena.

"Where is Milliardo being held, did he say?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Downtown at the 27th precinct."

"Thanks." He turned back to the phone. "Have him meet us at the police station in the 27th district. Then I need you to pick me up." Treize gave Une the address and asked her to drive by his house and pick up a change of clothes for him, on the way.

When he hung up the phone Relena was still standing in the kitchen door watching him. "Who **ARE** you?"

The tawny haired man sighed inwardly. There was no way around it now, so he could as well tell her everything. It wasn't like they could do anything at the moment but wait for Une to arrive.

* * *

Milliardo wasn't sure what surprised him more, his arrest, or his sudden release a few hours later. The officer who was taking up from the holding cell upstairs was close-lipped. He didn't even tell the young man what it was that had made them change their mind so sudden. Less than an hour ago the police had been convinced that he was a kidnapper, and perhaps even a murderer.

The officer didn't take him straight to the lobby to release him but led him into a meetings room in the second floor, where Relena and Treize were waiting for him. At first Milliardo almost didn't recognize the tawny-haired man, dressed up in a light gray, three piece business suit. With them was the police chief, another man, tall, handsome, with slightly graying hair, and a woman in her early 30th who eyed him firmly through a pair of thin rimmed glasses.

Milliardo's gaze moved from one person to the next before resting on Treize. "What's going on?" he wanted to know. "Who are these people?" After everything that had happened over the past few hours he felt that he definitely deserved an explanation.

The tawny-haired man cleared his throat. He looked more than just a little uncomfortable. "Mister Ventuno," he finally spoke, gesturing at the gentleman to his left. "…is my attorney. I asked him to meet us here, in case his legal advice would be needed. And this is Miss Une. She is my business partner and… uhm… fiancé."

Milliardo felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He swallowed but the bitter taste in his mouth remained. Finally he somehow managed to put on a polite smile. "Nice to meet you." He nodded at the young woman and the lawyer before turning his attention back to Treize. "I'd like to talk to you if I may… in private."

"Of course." The tawny haired man gave a curt nod then looked at the police chief questioningly.

"Well…yes… how about my office," the chief suggested. "Let me show you the way, Mister Khushrenada."

The office was just across the hall. Milliardo waited until they were alone before he asked: "Since when did you know?"

"Since a few days," Treize admitted. "I meant to tell you. I really did, but…" he started to explain but the younger man cut him off.

"Does this mean you knew before we went on the trip to the mountains? When you slept with me, you already knew that you were engaged?"

Treize couldn't even look him into the eyes. "Listen Milliardo, I'm sorry…I…"

"Oh, I'm sure you are."

The acid in Milliardo's voice made the older man cringe, but he couldn't say that he blamed him.

For a moment it looked like the blond was going to say something, but then he just shook his head and snorted.

Treize didn't try to stop him as Milliardo turned on his heels and left the office. There was nothing he could say right now, nothing he could do that would appease the young man.

"Come on, Relena, let's go home." Milliardo told his sister as he walked back into the meetings room.

"Mister Peacecraft," Miss Une stopped him before he could turn to leave.

"Yes!"

"I've heard that you opened your home to Mister Khushrenada and took care of him when he needed help. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate it. And…" She pulled out a check and handed it to Milliardo. "I believe this should be yours."

The young man turned the paper in his hands as though he didn't know what it was. "What for?" he frowned.

"After Mister Khushrenada disappeared an award was put out for information leading to his safe return," she explained. "Under the circumstances I think you more than earned this."

Milliardo's frown turned into a scowl as he ripped the check into pieces and turned to Treize who has stepped into the room behind him.

"What do you think I am; some kind of prostitute? You know, if it wasn't for the ladies present, I would tell you what you can do with your money. Let's go, Relena."

Treize just stood there, speechless for a few moments. When he finally was able to shake off his shock, he went after Milliardo, catching up with him in the lobby just as the young man and his sister were about to leave the building.

"Milliardo, please wait. You got it all wrong. At least let me give you a ride home. We can talk." He gestured at the black limousine standing in front of the police station.

"That won't be necessary. We will take a cab," the blond told him stubbornly.

"Are you alright?" Relena asked as they crossed the street to catch a taxi near the Downtown train station.

Her brother somehow managed to smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I knew from the start that this wasn't going to last after all." _I did, didn't I? So why does it hurt like hell, and why is my stomach in knots right now?

* * *

_

"Is there anything I should know?" Une asked as she and Treize settled down in the back of the limo.

"I'm tired," he replied evasively. "I really don't want to talk about it right now."

"I understand." Une nodded. "Just drop me off at my place, please," she told the driver, who was still holding the door open.

"Yes, madam." The chauffeur nodded in acknowledgement.

They didn't speak, just stared silently out of the window, until the car stopped in front of Une's house.

"I'll call you later," Treize told her. "Perhaps we can meet and talk over dinner."

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note: For those who might be wondering how the police connected Milliardo to Treize and arrested him after trying to pawn the watch… Expensive jewelry and watches have like an identification number and the police could (and does) use them to find an item that was stolen etc. Pawn shops often receive lists of stolen items etc they need to look for.

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

* * *

**Strays**

**Part 6**

"I'm home." Relena kicked off her shoes outside the door. It had been cold and gloomy all day long, typical October weather. And to top it off it had started to rain while she was out shopping.

Mister Scruff came running to greet her, nearly knocking her over in the process. The teen laughed as she petted the large dog's head. "Easy there, big fellow."

"Where have you been?" Milliardo's voice came from the living room. The young man was sitting by the fireplace, reading a newspaper.

"At the market. I was going to make spaghetti and garlic bread and realized we were out of parmesan cheese."

"Why didn't you call me? I would have picked some up on the way home. You didn't have to go on foot in the rain."

Relena shrugged as she set the shopping bag down on the kitchen table. "It wasn't raining when I left. Besides I'm not made from sugar, you know. I won't melt away when I get wet. And why are you home already anyway? Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

"Professor Kline got sick. No classed this week." Milliardo explained.

"I see." Relena reached for her apron. She popped her head into the living room as he tied the strings behind her back. "There was a message on the machine… from Treize…did you see?"

"Oh, was there?" Milliardo kept his voice deliberately disinterested, and didn't even look up from the paper.

"You erased it, again, without even listening to it, did you?" Relena frowned at her brother. He didn't answer, pretending to be too enthralled in the article he was reading. Her frown deepened. With a few large strides she was next to his chair and snatched the paper away from him.

"Milliardo, I'm talking to you. Why are you doing this? I know you are angry with Treize right now, and for good reason. But I don't understand why you won't even give him a chance to apologize. The fact that he is calling and trying to talk to you…"

"That's enough," Milliardo snapped. "I've had enough of this nonsense. I don't need you or anybody else to tell me what to do. Keep your nose out of my personal life, alright." The moment the words had slipped from his lips he regretted them. He didn't mean to sound so harsh.

Relena stared at him with an expression of surprise and hurt. "I'm sorry, I didn't…"

He closed his eyes momentarily as he heaved a quiet sigh. Then he rose and wrapped his arms around his sister. "No, **I'm** sorry. I should not have reacted so harshly. That was uncalled for."

She returned his embrace, hugging him tightly. "I was only trying to help, Milliardo. Why don't you want to listen to what Treize has to say? You like him… a lot…don't you?"

Milliardo didn't answer, but he could feel himself blush. So she had noticed after all. Perhaps she was more observant then he was giving her credit for.

"I'll take that as a yes." Relena smiled softly as she freed herself from her brother's arms. She looked up at him firmly. "Then why don't you want to give him another chance?"

_If only it was that easy_. Milliardo gave another sigh. "Lena, trust me, things are best left the way they are. Treize and I are just not mean for one another."

"Why?" she asked, sounding very much like a nosy, little child.

"Because…," he plopped back unto his chair. "For one, Treize owns his own company. He is rich, successful and had a lot of influence. I on the other hand am only a college drop out, working on minimum wage. I have nothing to offer him. And of course there is also the fact that he is engaged, to a woman of his own social status; someone who is much better suited for him."

"A woman of his own social status?" Relena echoed. "Do you hear yourself talking? Milliardo, wake up and join us in the 20th century, will you? Maybe this comes as a surprise to you, but most people nowadays choose their partner out of love and not for their 'social status'. Besides, why are you belittling yourself? Just because someone is born with a silver spoon in his mouth it doesn't make him a superior person. And you **do** have a lot to offer."

Her brother smirked wryly. "Thanks."

"Does this mean you will call Treize back?"

"No!"

"Why not? I just don't understand you." She frowned.

"Okay, let me put it this way… You remember Snowball, don't you?"

Relena nodded. Of course she did. Snowball was a white Persian they had rescued from the fangs of a wild coyote a few years back. The cat has stayed with them for almost four weeks, and she had gotten rather attached to him, when his owners showed up. It turned out that the family was in progress to relocating overseas, and Snowball had been put into quarantine at a vet's office where he somehow managed to escape. But what had that to do with Treize?

"You remember how you felt when the Darlian's took him back home? And how they offered you to come by and see him one last time before they left the country?"

She gave another nod. Yes, she remembered. She had declined their offer, because the thought of seeing Snowball just to say good buy again was just too painful.

"Well, then I think you **do** understand."

* * *

Treize tapped his fingertips restlessly against the desktop as he listened to a report on structural stability. He was sitting, together with Une, in his office in a videoconference. The man on the other end of the camera was the head architect of the company that was going to build the new OZ headquarters. 

The construction of a new office building had been carefully planned for the past eight months, or so he was told. Treize Khushrenada still hadn't regained all of his memories. Although there were a lot of things he could recall now, even little things like childhood memories, there were still a lot of gaps that needed to be filled. Sometimes it was frustrating to say the least.

"By the way, what did you think about those plans I sent you back in September, Mister Khushrenada?" the architect asked after he had finished his report. "Does the design suit you?"

_Plans? What plans? Did I look at them; I'm not sure._

"It's funny you ask," Miss Une spoke up. "Mister Khushrenada and I were just talking about them this morning. I think we will need a little longer to make a definite decision though. We really like the basic design idea, but there a few details we still need to talk about. You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all. Take all the time you need. I'll be waiting to hear from you."

A few minutes later they ended the conference and Treize turned off the camera and terminated the phone connection.

"You look tired. Are you alright?" Une asked sympathetically.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Thanks for covering."

"My pleasure. Those plans are on you desk by the way." She gestured at a green plastic binder. "You might want to look at them."

"I really should, shouldn't I? But not today."

Treize pushed one of the buttons on the intercom system. "Miss Webster, could you please come in for a moment?"

A moment later the door to his office opened and his secretary stepped in. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Yes! Please cancel all my appointments for the rest of the day. I'm going home," he told her.

"Even the meeting with Mister Anderson?"

"I said 'all', didn't I?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just thought…because you already postponed the meeting twice."

"Well, they say the third time is the charm, don't they?"

"Yes, Sir. If you say so."

"Don't worry about it, Miss Webster," Une intervened. "I'll call Mister Anderson personally. You just reschedule the rest of the appointments."

"Yes, Ma'am. Is there anything else?"

"No thank you. That's it."

Une waited until the secretary had closed the door behind herself before she turned to Treize. "Are you sure you are alright?"

"Yes, I'm just tired. That's why I'm going home."

"Perhaps we should cancel our dinner arrangements for tonight. You should rest."

"It's your birthday, Anne. I wouldn't cancel it for anything in the world."

* * *

Une was about fifteen minutes late for dinner. She had told Treize not to pick her up at her house because she had some things to take care off beforehand, and they agreed to meet at the 'Alexandria' instead. 

The metre d' greeted her with a respectful bow as she entered the restaurant. "What a pleasure to see you again, Miss Une. Mister Khushrenada arrived already. May I take you to your table?"

The young woman nodded. "Thank you."

She followed him through the dining room to one of the semi-private niches along the west wall. Treize liked sitting there not only for the privacy, but also because of the wonderful view onto the bay.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she apologized. "Traffic was a nightmare."

"Don't worry about it," Treize rose to greet her. "I only arrived a short while ago myself."

"You look lovely tonight," he remarked as he, always the gentleman, pulled out the chair for her to sit down.

She was wearing a little black dress with deep-purple velvet trimmings, very stylish and very elegant.

"Thank you." A fair hue of pink stained her cheeks. Even after all these years his compliments got to her.

"Would you like to hear tonight's specials?" the metre d' asked after they had settled down.

"No thank you," Treize declined politely. "I think we'll have the champagne first and eat a little later."

"As you wish, Sir." He left and a few moments later the waiter came with the bottle of 'Dom Perignon' Treize had ordered earlier.

"Your champagne." He filled their glasses and left the rest of the bottle on the table. "Enjoy. If there is anything else I can do for me, let me know."

As the waiter bowed and retreated, Treize pulled a little rectangular gift box from his pocket, presenting it to Une. "Happy birthday, Anne."

"Thank you. Should I open it now?"

"I insist."

"Very well then." She meticulously untied and removed the large bow and the red and gold paper. Beneath it lay another box.

Treize watched her carefully as she opened it.

"Oh…," she exclaimed. "A calculator!"

"Yours broke, didn't it?" he said. "This one has a memory function and the batteries charge through solar energy. What's wrong? You don't like it?"

"No, no," she assured him quickly. "It's … uhm…very thoughtful of you."

Treize managed to keep a straight face for a few more moments before bursting out in laughter. He handed her another present. "Here, I think you might like this one better."

"Treize Khushrenada!" she huffed as she glared at him playfully. "You really had me there for a moment."

"Sorry, I just couldn't help it." He chuckled.

Une gasped as she opened the second box and removed a diamond bracelet. "It's lovely. Thank you. Will you help me put it on?"

"With pleasure." He fastened the bracelet around her wrist, then raised his champagne glass for a toast. "To a wonderful woman, a fantastic business partner, and a great friend…"

"Thank you." She replied quietly.

"Is something the matter?" Treize asked. He knew her for long enough that he could read her like a book.

"Well… Truth is I have something to give you as well." She reached into her purse, pulled out a small, square jewelry box and set it onto the table in front of him.

Treize hesitated a moment before opening it. Inside the silk lined box lay the ring he had given her when he proposed to her less than three months earlier. It didn't really come as a huge surprise. He had noticed a few days ago already that she had stopped wearing the ring.

"You are breaking off the engagement?"

"I believe it is the best, for you, for me, for Oz."

"I really messed up, didn't I?"

"No actually, think we both made a mistake; you, when you asked me to marry you, and I, when I accepted your proposal. Try to be honest and ask yourself if you really proposed to me for the right reasons."

Treize's eyes widened slightly. He had been asking himself that same question more than once of late. Somehow he still couldn't figure it out. Back then he had been convinced that he was doing the right thing, but now he wasn't so sure anymore.

His family had been on his case, insisting that he was old enough to get married and start a family on his own. Even though he had always been open about his sexual preferences, they didn't seem to take it serious. His mother thought of it as more of 'a phase he was going through'. And of course he saw the necessity of producing an heir who would carry on the family name and eventually take over OZ in the future. But even though he liked to party and socialize, he had never been much into dating. More than once he had found the high-society women his mother had tried to set him up with, to be utterly dull and dim-witted. Anne however was a totally different story. She was witty and intelligent, and very much his equal. He was comfortable around her and they could convert without him having to worry about talking over her head. So, was it possible that he proposed to her just out of… convenience?

"I know this seems like an odd timing you break off our engagement. But I want you to know that I'm not bitter about this. And you shouldn't be either. I think we should be grateful that we realized our mistakes before we actually got married."

"Anne…"

"However…" she continued. "I believe it would be best to wait with an official announcement until after the contract with the Irving Company is signed."

Treize huffed in a mixture of humor and sarcasm. "Always 100 business, aren't you?"

"Are you complaining?" she asked. "I told you I'm not bitter. I'm more than happy with the two of us remaining just good friends. And as a friend I'd like to give you some advice."

"Advice?" he echoed.

"Yes. Try calling him again."

She didn't have to use Milliardo's name. Treize knew anyway who she was referring to.

"No!" There was not room for argument in his voice. "I did that already and he has yet to return any of my calls. If he wants to cut all ties, so be it. I'm not going to beg. I'm not that desperate."

"No, not desperate," she agreed. "Just stubborn."

"I beg your pardon! I'm **not** stubborn."

"No? My apologies then. I wonder what gave me that impression." With an expression of perfect innocence Une picked up her menu card and started to read it.

Treize frowned as he reached for his own menu. _What was that supposed to mean?

* * *

_

"Miss Peacecraft?"

Relena was standing just outside the school gate, talking with her friends, when a red Lamborghini had pulled up at the curb. She turned her head.

"Oh, Miss Une." For a moment there she almost didn't recognize the woman, without glassed and with here hair loose.

"What can I do for you?" she asked as she took a few steps toward the sports car.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you…somewhere a little more private."

Relena hesitated. Her first inclination was to decline, but then she reminded herself that, whatever happened between Treize and her brother, it wasn't Une's fault. The young woman was nothing but an 'innocent victim' in this whole mess.

"Well, there is a little ice-cream parlor just down the street. I can meet you there in about ten minutes if you wish."

Miss Une nodded. "Sounds good. I'll see you then."

The Lamborghini drove off, turning quite a few heads, and Relena walked back to her friends, wondering what Treize's fiancée wanted to talk to her about.

"Who was that?" one of the girls asked. "Your brother's new girlfriend?"

"Oh, no no, nothing like that," Relena laughed. "Just an acquaintance. I've got to go. See you guys tomorrow morning."

"Sure. See you."

* * *

Une was waiting for her outside the ice-cream parlor. The settled down at a small table in the back of the room where they could be relatively undisturbed. When the waitress came Relena ordered a strawberry milkshake while the older woman opted for a cup of coffee. 

"Miss Peacecraft, thank you for taking the time to talk to me."

"No problem. How is Treize by the way? Has he fully recovered yet?"

Une shook her head. "Not all of his memories have returned yet. But it seems like he is improving every day. Stubborn as he is he is refusing to see a doctor though. We are in the midst of a bidding war over some land he wants to buy to expend OZ. He is convinced that out rivals would use it against us if they found out about, what he calls his 'questionable mental state'.

"So, he really owns that company?"

"He does," she confirmed. "It's been in his family for generations."

Relena had a hard time to stop herself from chuckling.

The older woman raised one eyebrow. "That seems funny to you?"

"No, it's just …we figured that he worked in a restaurant, being a chef or head-chef or something, because of his cooking skills."

"Yes, Treize really loves to cook. He says it helps him relax. I remember our first big business meeting/dinner. We were still trying hard to be taken serious as a newly reformed company. A few days before, he invited me to his house. I assumed that he wanted to talk shop and go over the minutes for the meeting. Instead he wanted to show me the catering menu. Not only had he put the whole menu together himself, but he also had cooked samples of every course. At that moment I was convinced he had lost his mind under the pressure. But anyway…the reason I wanted to talk to you is…I know that Treize had been trying to call your brother a few times since he returned home."

Relena's brows furrowed. "Just a minute; if you are here to ask for my help to keep Milliardo and Treize apart you have come to the wrong person."

Une took a sip from her coffee. She looked at the teen from over the rim of her cup, a mysterious smile curving her lips. "You are misunderstanding. What I want is for you to help me bring the two of the together; at least into the same room to give them a chance to talk things out."

"Huh?" Relena's yaw almost dropped. "Are you sure you know what you are talking about? You know that Treize and Milliardo….I mean…um…"

"Yes," Une nodded. "Treize told me anything. Not that that was necessary. I am a woman. I have eyes and I can out two and two together."

"Yet you want to bring the two of them together again? Treize is your fiancée, don't you love him?"

For an instant Relena could see a flash of pain in the older woman's eyes. "Of course I do…Enough so to want to see him happy. Right now he is plain miserable. I'm afraid if this goes on I might loose more than just my fiancée. – So," She looked firmly at the teenager. "Can I count on you?"

"I'll do what I can, but I don't think it will be easy. My brother seems hell-bend on staying away from Treize. He won't even talk to him on the phone. Maybe if Treize would come by our house…"

"He wouldn't do that." Une shook her head. "He is too proud. – Men," she huffed. "Once they feel that their 'male ego' has been hurt they start acting like little stubborn children."

"I guess that's why they say that every great man needs a woman to lead him." Relena chuckled.

"Then perhaps **we** should take the 'lead' in this situation as well," the older woman suggested.

* * *

T.B.C. 

Author's Note:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

* * *

**Strays**

**Part 7**

"I'm making tea, you want some?"

Milliardo almost jumped at the sound of his sister's voice. Relena was standing right behind him and he didn't even hear her approached.

"Tea sounds great," he nodded. "I could use a break right now." He had been studying for several hours already for his upcoming finals.

"Alright then, I'll go set the table."

"Let me help you." Milliardo closed his book, and rose from behind his desk. "How come are you home anyway? It's Friday, aren't you going out with your friends?"

"I am," Relena confirmed. She put two cups and saucers onto the table. "I just thought we could have tea together before I leave."

"I'm not complaining, just wondering."

By the time they finished setting the table the tea was done, and they settled down.

Relena watched honey dripping from her spoon, forming a long thin line before hitting the tea surface in a little circle. "So, now that you had some time to cool off and think about it, will you call Treize finally back?"

"Lena?" Milliardo frowned at her. "I thought we talked about this already."

"Alright, alright." She looked up, giving him a brilliant smile. "I won't talk about it anymore," she promised. "I just thought I had to give it one more try… Oh, I almost forgot; I bought some cookies on the way home."

She jumped up and hurried into her room, returning with a white paper bag a few minutes later. The teen arranged the cookies, an assortment of sugared, chocolate covered and iced pastries, on a serving plate and put it onto the table.

Milliardo laughed as he reached for a little, chocolate covered star. "What did you do; turned your entire allowance for this week into sweets?"

Relena giggled. "No, nothing like that. There is just this new bakery and they had a 'Grand Opening Sale'."

"Ah, I see. Well, they should have no problem attracting customers; these are really good." Her brother reached for another cookie. "You're not having any?"

"I…umm…already ate a few on the way home."

Milliardo nodded. "Ah."

He munched a few more cookies, finished his tea and yawned as he put the dishes together. "Geez, I'm tired."

"I'm not surprised. You have been up late, studying for the past few days."

"That's true. And I still have a few more chapters I need to read through."

"Why don't you take a nap? Then you can get a fresh start when you wake up."

"Good idea. I think that's what I'll do."

"I'll clean up here, don't worry about it."

"Thanks."

Relena washed the dishes, tidied up the kitchen and brought out the trash. When she walked back into the living room Milliardo was dead asleep on the couch. He didn't even stir when she covered him with a blanket.

"I'm sorry, Brother, but this is for your own good."

* * *

Treize studied his own reflection in the large dressing mirror, tugging at his sleeves and adjusting the tie until he was satisfied with his appearance. He was still somewhat surprised about Une's unusual choice of location for this business meeting, but he trusted her enough not to question her decision.

He checked his wristwatch. Where was she anyway? Weren't they supposed to get together before the meeting? Or perhaps he understood wrong and she had said that she and Mister Newark were going to wait for him in the sitting room?

Well, in any case…he could not let his guest wait any longer.

* * *

Milliardo woke slowly and almost instantly his senses told him that something wasn't right. There was a slight scent of sweet flowers and just a touch of seawater smell in the air. He could feel the sun shining directly onto his face. He slowly opened his eyes… and frowned.

What the…Where am I? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep at home on the couch in his living room. He was still lying on a couch alright, but this was definitely not his living room. His frown deepened as he sat up and looked around. The room was huge and expensively furnished, with large, seamless windows providing a beautiful view onto… the beach!

Just as Milliardo swung his feet over the edge of the couch to rise, the door opened."

Treize stepped into the sitting room with an apologetic smile. "I hope I didn't make you wait for too long. I…" he swallowed the rest of the sentence and stopped dead in this track. "You?"

"You!" Milliardo echoed. "Where am I? How the hell did I get here?"

"I have not the slightest idea."

The younger man snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I swear, Milliardo, I have nothing to do with this." Treize assured him.

Milliardo glared at him. He was not convinced. But before he could say anything, somebody behind Treize cleared his throat. "Sir? Do you want me to take Mister Peacecraft's luggage to the guesthouse?"

The tawny haired man turned. "Carlos, where is Miss Une, do you know?"

Carlos, a man in his mid 30th with olive skin and jet black hair, nodded. "Yes Sir, she left already."

Treize's brows furrowed. "She left?"

"Yes, Sir, as soon as the plan was unloaded."

"You mean she took the jet?"

"Of course, Sir?"

Treize swallowed a curse as he pulled out his phone.

"What's going on?" Milliardo wanted to know. He had been following the conversation between the two men with bewilderment.

"**That** I'd like to know too. Give me a few minutes, Milliardo, to figure it out," the older man replied. He dialed Une's number. She picked up right away. Apparently she had been expecting his call.

"Ah, Treize. Is something wrong?"

"You really have to ask? What are you doing?"

"I'm heading to the meeting with Mister Newark of course," she replied innocently. "Don't worry about a thing. Just enjoy your weekend. I'll give you a full report when I return Sunday Night."

"Anne! Don't you dare… Turn around at once!"

"I'm sorry Treize; did you say something? You are breaking up. I can't hear you." With that the connection was cut.

"Damn that woman!" Treize turned off his cell phone.

Carlos cleared his throat again. "Sir…The luggage…?"

"Oh, right. Yes, take to the guesthouse."

"That won't be necessary," Milliardo intervened. "Carlos, could you please call me a taxi instead, to take me to the nearest hotel?"

Carlos looked at Treize then at Milliardo. "I'm afraid there is no hotel around here."

"Fine, then I'll drive directly to the airport."

Carlos gazed at Treize again, a somewhat puzzled expression on his face. The tawny haired man heaved a heavy sigh. "Milliardo, you don't understand. There is no hotel here and no airport either, just this estate and a couple hundred acres of jungle and shoreline. See, this is a private island. In other words we are stuck here until Une returns on Sunday."

"You have got to be joking."

"I swear I'm not," Treize assured him. "I'm afraid we got duped. I can't believe the two of them actually got together and pulled this off. I'm not sure if I should be furious or intrigued."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Une could not have done this without your sister's help."

_Relena!_ Milliardo's brows knitted. Of course, it made sense. She has given him something to 'knock him out'. The tea? No, the cookies. That's why she hadn't eaten any herself.

For some reason that realization made him feel slightly better. At least he could be sure that she wasn't worried and panicking about his 'disappearance'.

Milliardo tried to suppress a yawn. Apparently the drug hadn't totally left his system yet.

"Carlos, why don't you take Mister Peacecraft to the guesthouse," Treize suggested. "I have a few things to take care off."

"As you wish, Sir." The servant gestured for Milliardo to follow him. "This way, Sir."

The guesthouse was located directly at the beach, only a few hundreds yards from the main building. It was a two story structure. Carlos unlocked and opened the door then waited for Milliardo to enter before he followed.

"The bath and bedroom are upstairs," he explained as we walked over to the window to draw open the blinds. "The kitchenette is to your right. Make yourself a home, Sir. I'll be right back with your luggage."

"Thank you."

Aside from the small kitchenette, the entire lower floor was one large room, separated decorative dividers into a sitting and a dining area. Milliardo was still looking around when Carlos came back with his luggage. He wordlessly carried the two bags upstairs. When he returned he asked. "Would you like some kind of refreshment, Sir?"

Milliardo shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm fine."

"Very well; I'll leave you then. If you need anything you can use the house phone to call me."

"Thank you."

Once he was alone the young man made his way upstairs into a very impressive, and tastefully furnished bedroom. He stifled another yawn as his eyes fell onto the large king-sized bed. Perhaps he should lie down for a while.

* * *

Milliardo yawned and stretched leisurely on the bed. He had fallen asleep, but not for very long. The young man rose and walked over to the open patio door. A gentle sea breeze ruffled his hair as he stepped outside. He leaned against the low railing as he watched the ocean below. The dark blue water against the golden, evening-sky made for a beautiful picture.

A flight of stairs was leading from the patio directly to the beach. Milliardo took of his shoes and socks and rolled his pants up to his calves before climbing down the stairs. The sand was still warm and felt comfortable beneath his bare feet. He walked all the way to the water's edge. The incoming waves tickled his toes. The water was warmer than he had expected. The horizon had turned from gold to blood-red as the sun was slowly disappearing into the ocean.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Milliardo's head snapped around at the sound of Treize's voice. The older man was standing just a few yards away. He was barefoot as well, and wearing a loose pair of tan cotton pants and a half-buttoned white shirt. The blond turned; ready to head back to the guesthouse.

"Milliardo, wait! Are you planning on running away from me the whole weekend? Don't you think we should at least acknowledge all the trouble your sister and Une went through and take this chance to talk?"

Milliardo stopped. "Talk about what?"

"You are still angry?" Treize sighed. "I'm sorry, Milliardo. I really never intended to hurt you. You have got to believe me."

Milliardo turned to face the other man. "Then what exactly **were** you trying to do?"

"I'm not really sure." Treize admitted. "I guess I didn't want what we had to end. I realize it was stupid, but they say that love makes you do stupid things, don't they?"

"Love? Don't you think that you are confusing love with lust?"

"I'm not. I love you, Milliardo." Treize covered the distance between himself and the blond with a few steps and reached for Milliardo's hand. "Please, give me another chance."

The younger man pulled his hand away. "You seem to have forgotten that you are engaged."

"No, I'm not, not anymore."

Milliardo's brows furrowed. "You broke off your engagement?"

Treize shook his head. "No, it wasn't my choice."

"You mean **she** dumped **you**?" He couldn't say that he blamed her, but at the same time Milliardo couldn't help but sympathize with Treize.

"I wouldn't actually call it 'dumped', it was…" the older man paused, then grimaced wryly. "No, I think that's exactly what happened. She just was a little more 'classy' about it."

"Do you still love her?"

Treize shrugged. "That depends on what you mean by that." He turned to face the ocean and stared out onto the water. "Anne is a wonderful woman. And I care a great deal about her," he admitted. "But if you are asking if I am romantically attracted to her, I would have to say no."

Milliardo swallowed. "Treize, you are an idiot."

He older man turned back toward him, a crooked grin on his face. "I know."

"No, I mean it. Instead of standing here apologizing to me you should be trying to patch things up with her. You and I are just too different. This will never work out."

Treize frowned. "You didn't seem to think so before you knew who I was."

"But that's just it. The person I knew isn't the 'real' you. Besides, look at yourself. That outfit you are wearing right now, I bet it cost more than I paid for my entire wardrobe. My weekend retreat is a friend's two-room cabin in the mountains, yours… a private island. You work at your own company while I still struggle to get a degree…"

"That's it?" Treize gave a short bellowing laugh. "That's what's bothering you? Alright, I was born into money; I can't change that. But I'll quit my job in an instant if you ask me to. Do you need a live-in housekeeper? I'll work for room and board."

"Treize, I'm serious."

"So am I." he replied. "I really want to be with you; that's all that matters to me."

Milliardo heart was pounding in a mixture of joy and fear. He had sworn that he would never let anybody get close to him again. He grinned, trying to cover his apprehension with humor. "Sorry, but I'll think I'll pass. I have just gotten used to sleeping in my own bed again."

"Well," the other man smirked back at him, blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "I don't see a problem with that. It's a pretty large bed if I remember right. I don't mind sharing."

Milliardo put his hand up. "Slow down! You are moving way too fast here."

"Am I? I'm sorry." Treize chuckled. "If I promise to take it slow, will you take a walk with me?"

Milliardo hesitated, but he knew that it was already too late. The walls that he had so carefully put up around his heart were already crumbling. "I guess I can do that."

"Excellent. I'm hoping that once you get to know the 'real' me a little better you will realize that we are not that different after all. Let's go, shall we, before the sun has totally set."

They walked quietly along the beach for a long while before Treize spoke again. "By the way, I gave Carlos off for the rest of the weekend, so he won't be bothering us. Of course that means we will have to cook our own meals."

"I think I can live with that, if you are the one doing the cooking."

Treize laughed. "Actually... I checked; there is some freshly caught Alaskan salmon in the fridge. You still have to teach me how to cook fish on an open fire."

"Are we allowed to make a bonfire at the beach?"

"This is **my** island. We are allowed to do whatever we want."

Treize stopped and turned toward the younger man. He reached out to brush his knuckles gently over Milliardo's cheeks before cupping the blond's face with both hands tilting it slightly upward until their eyes met. "May I?" he whispered.

Milliardo just nodded, afraid that his voice might fail him.

Treize leaned in slowly. He captured the younger man's mouth in a gentle kiss. A soft moan escaped Milliardo as their lips parted.

"God, I've missed you." He didn't even realize that he had spoken those words out aloud, until the other man quietly replied. "I've missed you too."

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

* * *

**Strays**

**Part 8**

"You know I've never realized how different the sky looks when you are at a different location on earth."

Milliardo was lying on his back on the beach, his hands crossed behind his head, gazing up into the sparkling night sky. Treize was lying right next to him. A few yards away the fire they had built to cook their dinner over, was slowly burning itself out. But it wasn't that they needed the fire anymore anyway. The night was mild and clear.

"Yeah," the other man agreed. "The stars still are all there but the arrangement has changed somewhat. Over there, just above the high palm tree that's Sirius, the brightest star in the Canis Majoris constellation."

"You really do know your stars, don't you?"

Treize laughed quietly. "Among other things."

There was a moment of silence before the tawny-haired man turned onto his site and propped himself up on one elbow. "Milliardo!" He reached out to run his fingers through the blond's hair.

"Hm." Milliardo turned his head to look up at him.

"What's going to happen when we get back home on Monday?" Treize asked quietly. "Are you going to ignore my phone calls again?"

The young man hesitated, then let out a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. I knew from the start that if we would meet again I wouldn't be able to let go again."

"Does that scare you?"

"Somewhat," he admitted. "I had never planned to fall in love like this."

"Neither did I. I think nobody ever does." Treize pushed away a few loose strands of silvery-blond hair before he leaned in to kiss the younger man gently. "I assure you, Milliardo, you can trust me. Give me some time and I'll proof to you that my intentions are sincere."

"Well, guess I don't have much of a choice right now, do I?"

"Are you angry at them for setting us up like this?"

Milliardo shook his head, a soft smirk curving his lips. "Not really. I always wanted to spend some time on a tropical island. This wasn't exactly how I had imagined it, but…" he cupped the back of Treize's head and pulled him down until their faces were only a few inches apart. "…I think I can live with it."

* * *

Clink….clink…

Milliardo looked up from his book to glare across the table. The young man, dressed only in his favorite pair of washed-out jeans, was sitting outside by the pool. Treize had joined him a good fifteen minutes ago. While blond was trying to study, the other man seemed to be hell-bend on annoying him. At the moment he was amusing himself by flicking pennies into an empty juice glass.

"Would you mind stopping that?"

"Oh, sure. Sorry. Say how much longer are you planning on sitting here with your nose stuck in those books?"

"Until I'm finished studying," Milliardo shot the older man another glare. "And your nagging and disrupting me is not helping a bit."

"I'm not nagging. I'm just bored. I can't believe your sister actually packed your text books. I thought this was supposed to be a weekend for the two of us to get to know one another better."

"She knows how important it is for me to pass those finals, and I really wish you would see that too. So will you stop acting like a spoiled child and leave me alone?"

"Fine!" Treize rose from his chair and turned. "If that's what you want."

Milliardo couldn't see the other man's face, but he could have sworn that Treize was pouting. Like a spoiled child, indeed!

He should have known better than to assume that the older man was going to give up this easily. Less than five minutes later he heard footsteps behind him. Then Treize walked into his line of view with a large towel over his shoulder and a glass of iced tea and a bottle of suntan lotion in his hands.

The blond snorted. "Now what; have you been hired as the new pool boy?"

"If that's what turns you on." Treize grinned at him seductively. "I can be anything you want me to be."

Milliardo blushed and quickly buried his face in his textbook. "Idiot!"

The older man chuckled. "Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? In fact I wonder who is more foolish, you or I?"

"Huh?"

"You have been sitting half-naked in the sun for more than half an hour. _Not that I'm complaining about the half-naked part._ I hope this book of yours has a chapter on treatments for dehydration and acute sunburn, because you might need it soon."

Milliardo's blush deepened as he realized that Treize was right. The tawny-haired man set the iced tea down on the table in front of him. "There you go."

"Thanks."

As Milliardo sipped at his tea Treize spread the towel out on the ground. "Lie down!" he ordered. "Onto your stomach."

"Excuse me!"

The older man rolled his eyes. "Don't worry; I only want to put suntan lotion onto your back. Take your book with you if you must."

And so Milliardo did as he was told. He stretched out on the soft cotton towel with his text book in front of him and the glass with the iced tea just within reach. "I think I could get used to this."

_So could I._ Treize laughed as he knelt down next to the young man. He opened the bottle and poured a generous amount onto his hands.

Milliardo drew a sharp breath as the older man started to massage the milky-white lotion into his skin, beginning at the shoulders.

"Cold?"

"Just a little."

"Sorry," Treize apologized.

Milliardo's skin felt hot and smooth under the palms of his hands. As he pressed against those firm muscles and traced the length of his spinal cord with his fingertips he could feel the younger man shiver.

Milliardo bit his lips to suppress a moan as Treize's fingers moved deeper. He could still recall the feeling of those strong but gentle hands touching him on other places; making him squirm and beg for more. The young man gasped as the fingertips slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans. He knew he had to end this now.

"Stop it, Treize! How am I supposed to concentrate if you…" he rolled over to face the older man, propping himself up on one elbow, and realized instantly that he had made a mistake.

Treize's face so close to his own, the faint scent of the other man's cologne and the fire in those beautiful blue eyes were his undoing. His self-control went to hell and he leaned in to cover those luscious lips with his own.

Milliardo whimpered softly, his hand came up burying itself in ginger blond hair. His lips parted to allow Treize's tongue to enter.

Exploring the hot cavern of younger man's mouth, Treize moaned at the sweet taste. Their tongues sparred, twisting and bending around each other hungrily, as they tried to draw out their passionate kiss as long as they could.

"What was it you were saying?" he asked innocently when their lips finally parted.

Milliardo gave a low sound, somewhere between a growl and a purr as he wrapped his arms around the other man. "You planned this all along, didn't you?"

Treize blinked at him in feigned surprise. "I have no idea what you are talking about. If I recall correctly it was **you** who kissed **me**."

Milliardo snorted as he draped one of his legs around Treize's. He rolled over, burying the older man beneath him. "Treize Khushrenada, you are the worst kind of manipulator," he accused playfully as he straddled his lover. "I think you deserve to be punished for distracting me when I was trying to study."

Treize smirked at him. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

* * *

Treize smiled softly as Milliardo slowly started to stir in his soft leather seat. He had been watching the young man for the past 2 hours, ever since he had fallen asleep shortly after takeoff.

"Finally awake, sleepy head!" he teased.

The blond opened first one eye then the other one as well. Treize was sitting in the seat across from him, in the back of his private Lear jet.

"Whose fault is it that I'm tired? You kept me up all night."

The older man laughed, deep and bubbling. "I don't remember hearing any complains from you then."

"Who says that I'm complaining **now**?" Milliardo yawned and stretched leisurely. "I'm simply pointing out the fact. How much longer till we are landing?"

"About 20 minutes."

The blond grew quiet as he gazed out of the plane's window.

"What's wrong, Milliardo?"

The young man shook his head and put on a smile. "It's nothing. I was just thinking that weekends always are way too short. Before you know it they are already over."

"I supposed you are right about that," Treize agreed. He reached out to cover Milliardo's hand with his own. "But it doesn't end here, Milliardo. **This** is only the beginning."

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note: I realize this chapter was somewhat short, but I actually never planned on writing this. But after I had finished chapter 7, I realized that something was still missing. I couldn't just go from there to the epilogue. So I sat down and added this chapter to tie things up so to speak. Hope you like.

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	9. Epilogue

Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story.

* * *

**Strays**

**Epilogue**

**2.5 years later**

Milliardo had finished restocking the ambulance and just walked into the staff room when Noin stuck her head through the back door.

"The others are going to the 'Soup Kitchen' for lunch; do you want to come?"

The young man shook his head. "Thanks, but not today. I've plans already."

"Oh!"

"I'm going to meet with Treize," he explained. "Une is having an appointment for her first ultrasound."

"Oh really? How far along is she now?"

"Almost 13 weeks."

"Well then, I don't want to keep you. Take your time, Milliardo. I'll call you if something comes up."

"Thanks."

Milliardo reached for his jacket on the way out and checked his watch. It was already ten minutes after twelve. He had promised to meet Treize and Une at noon. Luckily Dr. Marshall's office was located in the family health clinic only on the opposite side of the complex. Taking a shortcut through the maintenance yard the young man made it there in less than five minutes.

He saw Treize as soon as he entered the waiting room. The tawny haired man smiled as he rose to greet his lover. "Oh good, you could make it. I was starting to get worried."

"I'm sorry, but things were a little crazy this morning. Where is Anne; inside the doctors' office already?"

Treize shook his head as he gestured down the hall toward the vending machines. "She is getting something to drink." He turned toward Milliardo, a serious expression on his face. "Milliardo, I'm worried."

The young man's heart almost skipped a beat. "Why, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Do you think it is really alright for somebody to eat Sushi dipped in chocolate sauce?"

Milliardo nearly burst into laughter. "Well, let's put it this way…If it was you making that order I would be concerned too, but since I assume you are talking about Anne, I think it's fine. Pregnant women are known to have the strangest cravings. And for some odd reason their stomachs doesn't seem to have a problem with it."

"Well, if you say so." Treize still didn't sound too convinced.

"You can always ask Dr. Marshall for her opinion if that makes you more comfortable," the blond suggested.

"Ask Dr. Marshall about what?"

Milliardo smiled as he turned toward Une who was coming back from the wending machine, a bottle of water in hand. "It's nice to see you, Anne. You look wonderful. How are you feeling?"

"I'm glad to see you too, Milliardo. I feel great, thanks. But unfortunately somebody here seems to be under the impression that pregnancy is a serious illness."

The young man gave his lover a questioning look.

Treize shrugged. "So? I'm simply concerned about you and the baby; what's wrong with that?"

"Treize," she told him firmly. "Women have gone through pregnancy for more than a thousand years without being pampered. I'm not even in my second trimester yet. There is really no need for you to send me a car every day to drive me to and from work, and I can do my own grocery shopping without problems. It's not that I don't appreciate your attention, but you are being overly protective. I don't know if I can take this another six months."

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. "I get it."

"I'll make sure that he really does." Milliardo assured her. He had realized a long time ago that Treize had a tendency to become not only overprotective but also somewhat controlling on occasion.

The older man huffed but before he could say anything more they were interrupted by Dr. Marshall. "I'm sorry for making you wait for so long," the young woman apologized.

"No problem at all."

"Are we ready, Miss Une?" the doctor asked. "We will start with a routine examination." She explained, and then, directed at Treize and Milliardo, she added. "I'll send out my assistant to get you when we are ready for the ultrasound."

The older man nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you."

As Une and the doctor disappeared into the examination room, the two men settled down again on the leather sectional.

"How was your day so far?" Milliardo wanted to know.

Treize sighed. "Don't even ask."

His lover winced sympathetically. "Hard day in the office?"

"I never even made it to the office. I'd promised to take Anne shopping this morning. Shopping for clothes with a woman is tough enough. Doing so with a **pregnant** woman is torture."

Milliardo laughed. "Oh come on, that's exaggerated, I'm sure."

"Is it? Well, why don't you go with her next time then?"

"Sorry," the blond gave his lover a brilliant smile. "No, can do. The difference between working for somebody else instead of owning your own company is that you actually have to show up to work every day."

"Hmph…" Treize huffed. "Excuses!"

"Mister Une!" A red-haired woman in a nurse's uniform, Dr Marshall's assistant he assumed, approached him with a clipboard in hand.

"Khushrenada," he corrected. "The name is Treize Khushrenada. Miss Une and I are not married."

"Oh, my apologies... I didn't… I just assumed," she stammered, somewhat embarrassed, as she handed him the clipboard. "If you could please check these forms, there is some information missing…"

"Of course." Treize started to complete the form while the nurse waited. After a few moments he frowned. "Hmmm…. 'Father's name'. Do I leave this open or fill in both our names?"

The woman blinked at him, slightly confused.

"Well," he explained. "Since we don't know yet which of us…" He gestured at Milliardo and himself. "…the biological father is."

"Oh… Well… in that case I supposed it will be better to leave it open for now."

As Treize turned his attention back to the paperwork Milliardo's phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He pulled out the cell-phone and flipped it open. The call was from Noin, he recognized her number. "I'm on my way." He told her, then turned to his lover. "I'm sorry. I've got to go."

The older man nodded understandingly. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you tonight then."

"Tell Anne I'm sorry. Love you!" The blond placed a brief but affectionate kiss onto his lover's cheek before he turned to leave.

If the nurse has looked confused before; now she seemed utterly dumbfounded.

Treize almost laughed. Somehow he had the feeling that the young woman had the wrong idea about the situation.

* * *

Milliardo didn't even realize that he was smiling like the Chestershire cat when he hurried back to the trauma center. Somehow, being together with Treize always had that effect on him. No, there was no question about it; meeting the other man was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

These past two and a half years went by like a dream, almost unreal. So many things had happened; so much had changed. He had finished his classes and was now a fully fledged Paramedic…who still was considering medical school in the not so distant future. Relena finished high-school as well. After she left for college he had finally given in and moved in with Treize. For his birthday his lover had surprised him with a trip through Europe and two days later Treize proposed to him during a gondola ride in Venice – no, they didn't capsize again but they came pretty close. The wedding was set for May. Yes, life was wonderful. And to top it all off they were going to have a baby and become a real family by the end of summer.

They had talked about it in length and they both agreed that they wanted children; at least one but perhaps more. So they had started to look into the legal proceedings for adoptions. They didn't even think of surrogacy until Noin brought up that option. Once again they did some research and decided that they liked the idea. When Une learned that they were looking for a surrogate mother she instantly volunteered to carry the child for them. Both Treize and Milliardo had donated sperm and left it up to the doctor to decide which sample to use. As far as they both were concerned it didn't really matter which of them the biological father was.

* * *

Milliardo pushed his seat back and propped his feet onto the dashboard. The ambulance was standing in a parking lot outside a small coffee-shop, while Noin had ran into the store to get them their afternoon 'pick-me-up'.

He pulled out his cell-phone and pushed the speed-dial button for 'home'. Nobody picked up on the other end, but after the third ring the answer machine turned on.

"Hi, it's me," he spoke onto the tape. "Its 3:30 now, I just wanted to check how things went, but I guess you aren't home yet. So, I'll see you tonight. Love you! – And…Mister Scruff, get off that couch NOW!"

As he turned off his phone Milliardo saw Noin stepping out of the coffee shop, both hands full with coffee cups and a box of pastries.

He grinned as he quickly locked the doors and leaned back in his seat pretending to be snoozing.

She knocked at the driver's window with her elbow. "Open up!"

He opened his eyes deliberately slow, yawned and looked at her questioningly. Noin's eyes narrowed. "Open the door."

He raised his shoulders and shook his head. "What did you say? I can't hear you?" he mouthed.

She glared at him. "Milliardo Peacecraft, open that door now or, I swear, you will be wearing these cream puffs."

He laughed as he finally unlocked the doors. Noin huffed as he handed him his coffee. "You really need to grow up, Milliardo. After all, you are going to be a father soon."

"Not for another six months," he shot back. "Might as well get it all out of my system before then."

She groaned. "I'm going to put in a request for transfer."

Of course she was only kidding. These little jokes and harmless pranks were part of the relationship they had developed, and neither of them would want it any other way.

* * *

Lights were burning in the living-room and the stereo was running, but other than that everything was quiet in the house when Milliardo came home.

"I'm home."

No answer.

"Treize!" The blond held his step at the doorway to the living-room. His lover was lying on the couch, dead asleep. The book he had been reading had slipped from his hand and fallen to the floor, where Scruff was now using it as a pillow. Hercules was sleeping curled up at the foot of the couch.

Milliardo couldn't help but smile at the sight. He approached quietly. His smile grew into a wide grin as he nudged the dog out of the way and kneeled down next to the sofa. He dipped his head and gently hissed his lover's peaceful face.

Treize's nose twitched as tendrils of long silvery bangs tickled him. His eyelids fluttered, then opened slowly.

"Like waking Sleeping Beauty," the younger man smirked.

"Milliardo! Did I fall asleep? You are late."

"I'm sorry," the blond apologized. "Things were a little crazy today." He sighed. "It's the same every year. The first day of sunshine and all the wannabe bikers bring out their motorcycles and head to what seems like a giant moron convention. Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand people who spent thousands of bucks on a bike but don't have enough sense to invest another hundred in a helmet."

"People are like that. They are convinced of their own immortality and that nothing will ever happen to them." Treize reached for the front of Milliardo's shirt, pulling his lover down to him for another kiss.

"What time is it?" he asked when their lips parted.

"Almost 6:30, why?"

"I made dinner reservations at the 'Pavilion' for 7:30. Should I call them to let them know that we will be late?"

"We still have time." Milliardo replied. As he turned his head, his gaze fell upon a large white envelope on the coffee table. "Is that…?" he asked as he picked it up.

Treize nodded. "The ultra sound picture."

"Move over." The young man nudged his lover, and Treize moved over far enough to allow Milliardo to stretch out beside him. His right arm snaked around the blond's waist, pulling him closer as Milliardo opened the envelope and removed the photo.

"Are you excited?" Treize propped his chin up on his lover shoulder, and they looked at the picture together.

"Very excited. You?"

"So am I. It was quite fascinating to see it move and breathe, to watch its little heart beat. I wish you had been there, Milliardo. This picture doesn't do it justice."

"I'll be there next time," he assured the older man.

Treize nuzzled the soft flesh at the nape of Milliardo's neck. "Did you take a shower before you came home? You smell good."

"Hmm… Treize!"

"Yep?"

"Let's call the 'Pavilion' and cancel the reservation for tonight." Milliardo suggested as he leaned back against his lovers chest. "Let's; order in or something. I want to stay like this."

"Good," Treize smirked. "Because I'm not planning on letting you go any time soon."

* * *

The end.

Author's Note: Okay, that's it. I would like to thank anybody who read this story and fed my muses with reviews. :)

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


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